#most provinces here is canada have family day in february so i made this for it

[avocados-of-law]

"A family is just people who care about each other more than anything else, right?" -Tails, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog

Happy Family Day

[steveskafte]

BETTER SANCTUARY Something about fog and history always seemed well-matched to me. Just like time, it casts a veil between what is truth, and what we perceive it to be. These old roadside churches always draw me, set on sudden curves and shoulders, often in need of a new coat of paint. Some haven't seen weekly services in a decade, some sitting sleepy longer than a half-century. The other day, I ran into a elderly man while I was hiking out of the woods. He drove by in his truck, and started telling me about an old homestead foundation I should look for in the woods, and the family that once lived there. Then, he changed the subject to talk about old churches. "There's one where I'm from that's been filled up with a bunch of Mexicans," he said, referring to the migrant workers a local farmer brought in to help with harvest. "I'd rather they just tore it down than use it like that." A fate worse than death, it seems. This is a re-purposing that's certainly not new to me. Temporary housing is hard to come by, and there's an old church in my area that's now used for some seasonal workers from Jamaica. "There were people baptized, married, died there," he went on, "It's just a disgrace." I nodded politely, because the sun was sinking and I didn't have the time or inclination to argue. But as for me, I think that any use for an old building is all that matters. For the lowest folks you'll ever meet, roaming the lonely world to feed their families back home, what could be better sanctuary? We forget so quickly how most of our ancestors were once the scum of the earth. We look back and promise that we wouldn't force newcomers to endure the same struggles, but there's always a new and different kind of people for us to turn against. Even though my family is full of relatives from Denmark and The Netherlands, come to Canada as blue-collar workers with little to offer but muscle and sweat – they too turned against the new waves in their later years. This particular brand of poor foreigners were different somehow, didn't love or believe in all the right ways like we did. But we still let them farm our fields and earn us money, and no one can say that they don't work hard for the pleasure. As a lifelong son of this province, I think the dumbest thing I ever hear out of a Nova Scotian's mouth is the phrase: "Come From Away". We say it like we're surprised that folks would move here, and maybe even a little bothered by it. There's a lot of jealousy about what buildings they buy and how they treat them, even if it's an abandoned structure finally renovated, that us locals let rot for decades. I don't believe in coining a special expression for outsiders, and maybe that's because I'm part of the first generation born here. Never felt right to have a term of separation between me and all those who made me. We're never the first, not nearly the last, but born to a long line of folks believing that they were the best of both. It comes back to the veil of time, keeping now safely separate from then. There's a murky gulf we'll never bridge, like misty visions rushing by a car window, spotted once as a child and never again. Where and when was that, anyway? The map in our mind is filled with disconnected constellations, random twinkling stars that make a picture we're resistant to see. Can't say why I'm always looking back, if only because it has a way of making me more aware of when I am. Cold and real like the slushy snow this evening, warm and dreamlike as the orange beech leaves still lingering till spring. Something about fog and history. February 10, 2023 Milford, Nova Scotia Year 16, Day 5570 of my daily journal.

[cruger2984]

Dankira and its Saints

When I heard of Dankira ended its service yesterday, I think it's about time for them to show their feast days in this latest installment to commemorate this occasion. So here it is.

[Merry Panic]

August 20 - Sora Asahi

St. Bernard of Clairvaux: 12th century French abbot and confessor, and a major leader in the revitalization of Benedictine monasticism through the nascent Order of Cistercians. There he preached an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary. In 1139, Bernard assisted at the Second Council of the Lateran. He subsequently denounced the teachings of Peter Abelard to the pope, who called a council at Sens in 1141 to settle the matter. Bernard was the first Cistercian placed on the calendar of saints, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1174, and Pope Pius VIII bestowed Bernard the title of Doctor of the Church. His major shrine can be found in Troyes Cathedral.

March 20 - Mahiru Hinata

St. John Nepomucene (John of Nepomuk): 14th century priest and martyr who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (Czech Republic). Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against defamation and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods and drowning. He is the patron saint of the Spanish Naval Infantry.

November 24 - Reiji Yano

The Vietnamese Martyrs: The Vatican estimates the number of Vietnamese martyrs at between 130,000 and 300,000. Pope St. John Paul II decided to canonize those whose names are known and unknown, giving them a single feast day. One of the most prominent person of the group is Andrew Dũng-Lạc, who was born to a peasant family and is ordained a priest in 1823. Many years later in 1998, he and the rest of the martyrs were canonized by Pope St. John Paul II. Among the number of the martyrs, there were 97 Vietnamese, 11 Dominican missionaries from Spain, and 10 French belonged to the Paris Foreign Mission Society; 59 were lay people and the rest of them are religious and or members of the clergy.

[Étoile]

February 17 - Akira Shido

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order: The seven holy founders consisted of Alexis Falconieri, Amadeus of the Amidei, Hugh dei Lippi Uggucioni, Benedetto dell' Antella, Gherardino di Sostegno, Buonfiglio dei Monaldi and Giovanni di Buonagiunta. On January 1888, Pope Leo XIII canonized all seven of them, and their feast was inserted in the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 11 February, the anniversary of the granting of canonical approval to the order in 1304. In the 1969 revision of the calendar, 17 February, the date of death of Alexis Falconieri was judged to be more appropriate.

December 11 - Noel Gekkoin

Pope St. Damasus I: 37th bishop of Rome who reigned for 18 years. He presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list of sacred scripture, and spoke out against major heresies in the church (including Apollinarianism and Macedonianism) and encouraged production of the Vulgate Bible with his support for Jerome. He helped reconcile the relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Antioch, and encouraged the veneration of martyrs.

June 27 - Kei Kagemiya

Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Our Lady of Perpetual Succour): A Marian title represented in a celebrated 15th-century Byzantine icon also associated with the same Marian apparition. The icon is originated from the Keras Kardiotissas Monastery and has been in Rome since 1499, and today, it is permanently enshrined in the Church of Saint Alphonsus, where the official Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help text is prayed weekly. In 1867, Pope Pius IX granted the image its Canonical Coronation along with its present title. The Redemptorist Congregation of priests and brothers are the only religious order currently entrusted by the Holy See to protect and propagate a Marian religious work of art. Due to promotion by the Redemptorist Priests since 1865, the image has become very popular among Roman Catholics, and modern reproductions are oftentimes displayed in residential homes, commercial establishments, and public transportation.

[Theater Bell]

May 12 - Seito Tsubaki

Bl. Imelda Lambertini: Italian laywoman, virgin and mystic. Her parents were devout Catholics and were known for their charity and generosity to the underprivileged of Bologna. On her fifth birthday, she requested to receive Holy Eucharist; however the custom at the time was that children did not receive their First Holy Communion until it reached the age of fourteen. On the day of the vigil of the Ascension, she knelt in prayer and the 'Light of the Host' was reportedly witnessed above her head by the Sacristan, who then fetched the priest so he could see. After seeing this miracle, the priest felt compelled to admit her to receiving the Eucharist. Immediately after receiving it, Lambertini went back to her seat, and decided to stay after mass and pray. Later when a nun came to get Lambertini for supper, she found Lambertini still kneeling with a smile on her face. The nun called her name, but she did not stir, so she lightly tapped Imelda on the shoulder, at which Imelda collapsed to the floor dead. Beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1826, she is the patroness of First Communicants.

July 20 - Soma Yagami

St. Apollinaris of Ravenna: 1st century Syrian bishop and martyr, whom the Roman Martyrology describes as 'a bishop who, according to tradition, while spreading among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ, led his flock as a good shepherd and honored the Church of Classis near Ravenna by a glorious martyrdom.' A noted miracle worker, Apollinaris is considered especially effective against gout, venereal disease and epilepsy. His relics are at the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the 6th century Benedictine Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, both in Ravenna and in Saint Lambert's church in Düsseldorf, Germany.

November 11 - Nozomu Miki

St. Martin of Tours: Confessor and the third bishop of Tours. One of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in Western tradition. Martin converted to Christianity at a young age and served in the Roman cavalry in Gaul, but left military service at some point prior to 361, when he became a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers, establishing the monastery at Ligugé. He is best known for the account of his using his military sword to cut his cloak in two, to give half to a beggar clad only in rags in the depth of winter. His shrine in Tours became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He is the patron of beggars, wool-weavers and tailors, as well as the patron of the United States Army Quartermaster Corps even though he detested violence.

[Sanzensekai]

September 18 - Yukari Wakakusa

St. Joseph of Cupertino: Italian friar from the Conventual Franciscans, a branch of the Franciscan order. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping. Canonized as saint by Pope Clement XIII in 1767, he is the patron of mental handicaps, examinations, aviation and astronauts.

June 13 - Mitsukuni Minamoto

St. Anthony of Padua: Franciscan Portuguese friar and priest who is noted by his contemporaries for his powerful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion to the poor and the sick, he was one of the most quickly canonized saints in church history. Although he is known as the patron of lost items, his major shrine can be found in Padua, Italy. In January 1946, he is proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII, and is given the title of Doctor Evangelicus (Evangelical Doctor).

April 28 - Oboro Kiriyama

St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (Louis de Monfort): French priest and confessor, who was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. As well as preaching, he found time to write a number of books which went on to become classic Catholic titles and influenced several popes, and he is known for his particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the practice of praying the Rosary. He is considered as one of the early writers in the field of Mariology. His most notable works regarding Marian devotions are contained in Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to Mary. Monfort is canonized as a saint two years after World War II under the pontificate of Pope Pius XII.

[TOXIC]

October 9 - Ageha Kurenai

St. Louis Bertrand: Spanish Dominican friar, confessor, missionary, and religious brother who is known as the 'Apostle of South America.' After his ordination by St. Thomas of Villanova, he went to South America for his missionary work. According to legend, a deadly draught was administered to him by one of the native priests. Through Divine interposition, the poison failed to accomplish its purpose. There is a town festival, called La Tomatina in Buñol, Valencia, in his honor along with Mare de Déu dels Desemparats.

April 12 - Shiki Janome

Pope St. Julius I: 35th successor of St. Peter who reigned for 15 years and is credited with splitting the birth of Christ into two distinct celebrations (Epiphany and the Nativity) as well as asserting the authority of the pope over the Arian Eastern bishops. After his death in 352 AD, he is succeeded by Pope Liberius.

January 12 - Tsukumo Busujima

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys: French nun who is known as the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal in the colony of New France, now part of the province of Québec in Canada.  She is also significant for developing one of the first uncloistered religious communities in the Catholic Church. She was canonized in 1982 and declared a saint by the Catholic Church, the first female saint of Canada.

[Black Meteor Camp (B.M.C.)]

January 31 - Atago Rentaro

St. John Bosco: Italian priest, educator, confessor and writer who is popularly known as 'Don Bosco' as well as the 'Father and Teacher of Youth'. While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the ill-effects of industrialization and urbanization, he dedicated his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth. He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System. John was an ardent devotee of Mary, mother of Jesus, under the title Mary Help of Christians. He later dedicated his works to De Sales when he founded the Salesians of Don Bosco, based in Turin. He also founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, and he taught Dominic Savio, of whom he wrote a biography that helped the young boy be canonized.

September 6 - Habashiri Ginko

Zechariah the Prophet: He was a person that can be found in the Hebrew Bible and traditionally considered the author of the Book of Zechariah, the 11th of the Twelve Minor Prophets. He was a prophet of the Kingdom of Judah, and, like the prophet Ezekiel, was of priestly extraction. The Roman Catholic Church honors him with a feast day assigned to this date.

August 4 - Tsubaki Kento

St. John Vianney: French priest and confessor who is known as the patron saint of parish priests. He is often referred to as the 'Curé d'Ars', internationally known for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish in Ars, France, because of the radical spiritual transformation of the community and its surroundings. Catholics attribute this to his saintly life, mortification, persevering ministry in the sacrament of confession, and ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His major shrine can be found in Ars-sur-Formans.

[purplesurveys]

921

LOL was gone for a while to attempt doing that ridiculous 5000 survey myself again and I really thought I was going to breeze through it this time. 2 1/2 weeks and 2500 questions later, I need a fucking break. Need normal surveys plz.

What was the best thing to happen to you this week? Got to visit Gabie today! I brought Cooper as well so that she, her sisters, and their puppy Tofu could finally meet him. Fun day, but I am beat. The blackout yesterday also made me revisit painting, and that felt so good too.

Where do you put your keys when you get home? It always differs, idk why I never picked up a routine. Sometimes I set it on the dining table, other times on the decorative table in the living room, and other times I bring it up with me to my room.

Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee? I preferred hot (warm would be more accurate) for the longest time but once I went iced, I never wanted to go back. 

What's your phone background picture? I recently changed my lock screen to one of Audrey Hepburn. My home screen is still Hayley Williams.

If you could move to any country, what would it be? Anywhere with a clean and honest government sounds like heaven.

Have you ever seen a snake in the wild? No. Can’t say there’s a lot of them here in the city, and I’ve never seen any in my trip to provinces either.

What's your favourite movie from the 80s? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Do you have any posters, paintings or other artwork on your walls? I have at least one of each of these, yes.

What would your dream wedding be like? Huge. I’d want a long guest list, expansive food choices, and acts that can provide good music throughout the evening. I never really throw parties for myself, so I would want at least my own wedding to be big.

Would you ever take a trip to space if given the chance? Yesssssss.

How do you cope with anxiety? I'm lucky to have found different outlets, so that said I usually choose from taking surveys, watching a favorite channel on YouTube, turning to my dogs, going to social media to see dumb memes, or taking a nap altogether. Of course there’ll always be those days where none of these work out and I’ll have to just cry through the anxiety attacks until they’re over.

Are you expecting any phone calls or emails? I’m expecting an email from my college, yes. I’m currently applying for civil service eligibility and they’re asking for documents that only the college can provide, so I emailed them a couple of days ago asking for assistance, and that’s considering we’re still under a lockdown and most offices are still under skeleton staffing.

What's the weather like in your part of the world right now? LOVELY. I actually wear oversized sweaters to bed now and I even managed to wear a thick denim jacket out today. The rainy weather has settled beautifully, and I’m perfectly fine with 24ºC-28ºC everyday.

What was the last takeout food you ate? My mom bought me and my siblings a chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets each from McDonald’s last week.

Who makes you laugh the most? Definitely someone from my college barkada. I can’t decide whether it’s Aya, Kate, JM, or Jum; they’re all equally hilarious as fuck.

Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? See these questions are always weird to me because my country has its own naming customs; it’s basically a mix of American and Spanish customs. We have two first names (where Westerners would understand their second ‘first’ name to be their middle name) and our actual legal middle name is our mother’s maiden surname (which I think doesn’t apply at all in the Western world). So to answer this I’ll go with our own customs and say that no, I don’t know of anyone who has the same middle name as me. It’s not a very common surname anyway.

What did you have done the last time you saw a dentist? Had a tooth removed. I don’t think it was a wisdom tooth; it was just a tooth at the back of my mouth that had been in pretty bad shape for years but was only discovered at that time.

What does a successful relationship look like to you? I believe the formula is different for every couple. Like I value constant communication and checkups, but others might not feel the need to be clingy or update their significant others all the time.

What do you like to put on your baked potato? Don’t really have these a lot, but I remember when my mom used to make baked potatoes with bacon and cheese and those were unbelievably good.

What field of science interests you the most? Biology. <3 I’m sure I would’ve taken up medicine if I only wasn’t so bad in the rest of the sciences.

What's the closest shop or restaurant to your house? There aren’t any nearby shops since I live in a gated community, but once you get out of the village’s main gate, the first thing to the left is a McDonald’s. To the right is a small complex with a hair salon, burger place, music school, and one of those boujee stores that sell hype clothing.

Do you have any family that live in another country? So many relatives. We’re Filipinos, man. We migrate everyfuckingwhere. As far as I know I have family living in the US, Canada, Vietnam, Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand.

What colour is your couch? Gray.

Do you know how to care for plants and keep them alive? Not at all. Every single plant that I’ve been given as a gift or party giveaway has died on me.

What was the most memorable birthday you've had? 18th was awesome. Cruise trip, hotel stay with friends, Tiendesitas + noodle date with Gab. How I got away with three separate celebrations without my parents saying anything about it I’ll never know.

Would you rather go to the beach or the mountains? Beach. The area where I live is mountainous as it is; as someone who’s always lived and studied in the city, a trip to the beach in the province never gets old.

What do you do for work? I don’t have any yet but I’m waiting for openings for our national agency for either history, or culture and the arts. My plans have shifted recently and I’m now eyeing to work for either instead of rotting away while underpaid at a corporate agency.

Have you ever been to see the circus? No. I wouldn’t be interested either; they all just seem so harsh and unethical. 

Are there any words that you hate or make you cringe? Sure.

What is the best house you've ever lived in? The one we live in today has been the most comfortable; but I also hold a lot of nostalgia for my dad’s parents’ house in Tondo because of how raw Manila life was there. Life wasn’t pretty, but it did feel real.

What was the first CD you ever bought? The first CD I actively wanted my parents to buy for me was probably the High School Musical soundtrack, heheh.

Do you look in the mirror before you leave the house? Yeah, always. Wanna make sure my shirt is tucked in properly (if it is), or that my jeans aren’t cuffed funny or whatever else.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? I’ve mentioned this before but it was the Indian dessert gulab jamun. Really did not expect the flavor that came in when it hit my mouth.

Have you ever seen someone quit their job in a dramatic way? I’ve never had a legit job, but when Jeuel quit the org a couple of years ago because of ~irreconcilable differences~ between him and us officers in the executive board it did feel a tad bit dramatic and passive-aggressive.

What movie reminds you of your childhood? Shrek 2 or The Game Plan.

Do you know why your parents named you what they did? The singer named Robyn was really big then and they ended up being fans of the name.

Do you have any bills that need to be paid? None of my own. My parents usually pay the family bills immediately, so I don’t think we have any pending payments for now.

What do you like to dip your fries in? Mayonnaise.

Is your house clean or messy right now? It’s always clean as my mom is extremely tidy.

What was the last email you received? It’s one of the job-hunting websites I’ve signed up for, giving me job alerts for new openings in my chosen industries.

Do you know someone who speaks without a filter? Yeah and I know people who do it responsibly and those who just come off as tactless.

Are you in any social groups? We call our college group the Daydrinkers, since our friendship began when we started constantly hanging out at nearby bars at like 2 PM, during our breaks lol. I used to be in a barkada in high school but Angela and I broke apart from that since we couldn’t deal with Athenna’s toxicity anymore, though I still keep in touch with most of them, like Chelsea and Kaira. Since then Angela and I have formed our own group consisting mostly of Angela’s friends from architecture and Hans’ friends from Ateneo.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Sigh, around 4. I don’t know why it was so few, but it also means that I’m currently drowsy as all hell at 9:03 PM. I will most likely turn in for bed after this.

What's your favourite kind of museum? Those that cover history, so museums that have artifacts and fossils and shit.

Do you believe in alternate universes? I like the idea, and I love literature that explores the idea of alternate realities, multiple universes, pocket universes, etc. Whether or not I believe they exist...idk. I don’t think about it that much in literal terms. < Yeah pretty much. Gaby Dunn wrote an amazing piece on multiverses and that was what got me to find comfort in the idea.

Whose house did you last visit? I was at Gabie’s place this afternoon. We had burritos, talked about career prospects, and puppy-sat our babies.

What games do you play on your smart phone? I turn to 1010 when I’m bored or anxious. I have like 30 other games but I never touch them lol, but I do keep them should the time be right to whip them out.

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? I have not.

What was the first concert you ever went to? Paramore, February 2013. I was a late bloomer; kids my age started going to concerts at least three years before that.

Do you know anyone who is colourblind? I don’t think so.

What's your favourite season and why? The wet season, because it’s colder and I hate the heat during the dry season.

Are you the youngest, middle or eldest child in your family? I’m the eldest.

If you had to make something for a potluck, what would you make? I recently watched this phenomenal recipe for 48-hour chocolate chip cookies that looked absolutely bonkers when they were done baking. I’d for sure give those a try for dessert. If that fails I’d just buy the food so that what I bring is more guaranteed to be good.

What kinds of decorations do you put up at Halloween? My family has never cared much for Halloween. It’s not even a legit holiday, so as much as I love Halloween I don’t think I would spend for decorations myself to decorate my own place. The only instance I imagine doing so would be if I have kids of my own who may want to get into the Halloween ~spirit.

How many tabs do you have open right now? In my current window, eight.

What's something you've been meaning to do but keep putting off? Taking another online course, just because it’s great to learn new things and earn free certifications while at it. I haven’t been doing a good job at being consistent with them, though.

What's the first thing you check on your phone at the start of the day? Facebook since it’s my primary social media now. Literally never thought this day would come.

Have you ever flown a kite? Yeah but it’s been a while.

Who was your favourite music artist when you were 16? This was the time I was slowly moving away from my punk phase and inching closer to Athenna’s music tastes, so I was into acts like Hozier, Banks, Daya, Twenty One Pilots, etc.

What are three things you usually always have in your fridge? Water, bread, eggs.

[benigxtcr]

the nerves were practically written in bright neon colours into the lines and features of ben’s face, the attempt of a polite smile sitting crooked on his lips as if it was part of a faulty code. he hadn’t done anything. he knew he hadn’t done anything serious, least of all in a direct approach towards winnie. however, in the same nerve-wrecking horror which had him skip through the security gates of stores and airports ( which never went off, but he still expected it as if he himself was made of metal ), he rushed through the local police department, already ready to get this over with.

one. is this the first time you’ve been called to the precinct? do you have a criminal record?

a long pause of silence followed the first and presumably under any normal circumstances the easiest question, benjamin’s eyes staring blankly off into the distance as if his brain had frozen into place. “ i– i– i– “ he started, stuttering as his mind seemed to only slowly reboot again, “ i have never been here !! but i – and i promise. in fact, i will swear an oath if necessary !! that it was never malevolent, let alone with the criminal intent of harming anyone in any way, shape or form – will have an entry registered for ‘ trespassing ‘, recorded about eight months, two weeks and a few days ago. it was for a treasure hunt !! — well, not as much treasure as merely a hunt for what turned out to be a scrap piece of metal, but a scrap piece of metal hunt? doesn’t sound quite as alluring, does it? not that that matter’s right now... i guess... i guess, it doesn’t. “ because this was about winnie and not about him — not yet, anyway.

two. where were you during the evening of ms. winnipeg sanders’ disappearance? specifically between the hours of 8 and 11 pm?

a breathless huff which could almost resemble a self-ironic smile, because as obvious as the question had been, he’d hoped it would not come. “ when was it? “ the twenty-third of february, which by easy math was a saturday, and ( as odd as it may sounded, considering he was able to give the exact span of time for other events in the pasts ) that was about everything ben knew for sure. “ i was– “ he inhaled deeply, the breath shaking in his lungs, “ i was at the benbow inn !! all the way between eight and eleven. “ or at least he was about ninety percent sure he had been there. 

three. can you describe what you were doing immediately before that?

“ yes !! yes, of course. “ his head went into an immediate series of fast and frequent nods, showing the very willingness he did, matter of fact, have for answering any and all of their questions with the sincerity they wished for — unfortunately, he never remembered many details about specific dates and meetings, let alone when he had many memories with a certain person. they simply blended together; he knew everything about his best friend but it was a mere impossibility to remember a date. “ again, i was at the benbow inn, “ he muttered, hands lifting to rub his temples in an attempt to remember, his glasses pushing up in the process, “ jim and i –  that’s jim hawkins and i – were... “ a pause which was filled with the desperate exhaustion of a sigh. “ we were helping out. saturdays are, on average, the most visited days within a lot of restaurants and stores. “ which, by mere coincidence, was the complete base of his assertion: by simple probability, he had most likely been there.

four. can anyone confirm your whereabouts at this time?

his eyelids fluttered, head falling into another nod as he looked up again, hands sinking to wipe his sweating palms at his jeans. “ yeah, yeah... sure. “ and he knew he would be able to name jim once again — even if he hadn’t been in the benbow inn that night, ben was basically certain his friend would stand up for him and agree to whatever had to be agreed to ( in a way, they already had agreed on just that, hadn’t they? ), however that was the very problem ben had with it. he didn’t want to drag jim into his memory based problems. “ oh !! “ a jolt went through his shoulders, his back straightening from his slumped defensive position as he suddenly felt he’d kept silent for too long: “ everyone who was temporarily resident at the benbow inn for the time being. unfortunately, i would not know who exactly it was. “

five. how well did you know ms. winnipeg sanders?

ben paused, eyes narrowing and his knee jumping as he considered their words and whatever may be the most genuine answer to them. “ the description of ‘ well ‘ is indefinitely relative, isn’t it? “ he mused aloud, his shoulders lifting momentarily, “ i know her name is winnipeg sanders, and i know that winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of manitoba in canada, but i never asked whether that’s what her name is based on. furthermore, i of course have the knowledge that she owned a bakery and she had legendary self-made honey based baked goods !! i asked for the recipe for her honey muffins once, but she politely declined which i understand. it’s a family recipe. i don’t actually know whether she has a family though. i mean, she obviously would have to have parents of some sort but i do not recall ever meeting or hearing of a spouse or a relative — what was the question again? “ how ( well ) did he know her? right. “ i would consider her an acquaintance with a positive foundation, leading to friendly but mainly on the surface conversations. “

six. did you and ms. winnipeg sanders ever have beef, or a quarrel? have there been moments where you wished – even if it were just in the heat of the moment – to inflict harm on her?

“ oh god, no !! “ for once, there was no hesitation within his answer or the obvious struggle of remembering the truth. he didn’t need to think twice. “ i would never want to hurt anyone !! we are all merely carbon based life forms. i don’t believe in the existence of real reasons to harm anyone or anything, mentally or physically. “

seven. what was your reaction when you heard about the news?

“ i uhm... “ another sigh pushed past his lips, his thumb moving to scratch over a stain of oil on his jeans. the truth felt harsh to say, but it was the truth nonetheless and he knew only the truth would help the investigation. “ i don’t have any real emotional attachment to her..? i don’t want to say i felt indifferent – i don’t believe i did – but the interval of my sympathy was a little short. i have had the experience that people leave sometimes, some of them rather abruptly as well and without any prior warnings. i suppose, based on the experience alone, it was – to me, it still is, i guess – more likely that ms sanders decided to leave sunnyside. she would not be the first. i have my doubts that she’ll be the last. “

eight. when was the last time you saw ms. winnipeg sanders? did you notice anything different about her?

ben had never been one to curse in his life – consider him child friendly, if you will – and yet he could not quite help the quiet ‘ fuck ‘ from tumbling off his lips as his head fell into his hands. the exasperation was visible in his shoulders and the features on his face, the tension tugging at his muscles in his neck. “ i don’t know — i wish i knew !! i do !! i just– “ he shrugged. it had never seemed important to him to remember where winnie out of everyone was. by probability, she stood behind the counter of her bakery and truly, that was the only place where she genuinely mattered to him —  either she was there and he could have a coffee or she wasn’t and he had to get one somewhere else. it was a simple yes or no question and he had never wondered, let alone bothered using some of his brain’s capacity to memorise where she was if she wasn’t in the baker. “ i have a bit of a memory problem. “

nine. do you know anyone who may have had any problems with her ? do you know anyone who may have had it out for her?

his lips parted, taking a deep breath as if to start another one of his on going sentences and end in the ramblings he was so very well known for. however, instead of responding to the answer in an entire monologue, ben in a rather unusual fashion chose to answer with only a single word: “ no. “

ten. have you noticed anything peculiar since the disappearance? anything special you think is worth mentioning?

his head came to shake slowly, shoulders lifting once again into the suggestion of a shrug. “ nothing, “ he muttered under his breath, a long pause of silence following yet another single worded answer. “ i am sorry. i really am !! can i leave now? if we are done here, i would like to leave. “ 

[xtruss]

Taliban fighters in Kabul Foto: Rahmat Gul / AP

A Trillion Dollar Illusion

The Entirely Predictable Failure of the West's Mission in Afghanistan

In early July, I met with a leading Taliban military commander. I asked when his fighters would arrive in Kabul. His answer: "They are already there." How the Afghanistan mission failed and what happens next.

— By Christoph Reuter | 08.02.2021 | Spiegel International

In early July, before the great storm broke over Afghanistan, Kabul was already surrounded by the Taliban. And nowhere were the Islamist fighters closer to the Afghan capital city than on the shores of the Qargha Reservoir, a popular getaway on the western edge of the city. People were saying that the Taliban had gathered in the villages behind the nearby hills. The last frontline, it was said, was on the shore of the reservoir at the amusement park.

During the day, families were still taking their children to the rides and the restaurants or going out on the water in swan-shaped paddle boats. A small, six-member special forces unit even enjoyed a picnic in a wooden pavilion on the shore. One of them had to stand guard at the gun turret of their armored Humvee as the rest smoked hookahs and drank colorful sodas.

The next day, I met one of the Taliban’s leading military commanders for Kabul, who received me in the middle of the city in an unremarkable office building. When asked how far the Taliban had to walk to get to the lakeshore, he responded: "Not far at all." He seemed perfectly calm, a clean-shaven emissary of fear. "They’re already there, after all. They are the security guards at the restaurants, the ride operators, the cleaning staff. When the time is right, the place will be full of Taliban."

Six weeks after our meeting, in the middle of August, the same man drove to the Presidential Palace along with 10 bodyguards and the senior commander responsible for the conquering of Kabul. He hadn’t lied when he said that his men had already infiltrated the park at the reservoir. What he had failed to mention, though, was that the Taliban were also already in the heart of the city.

Numerous witnesses in various neighborhoods of the capital following the fall of Kabul had similar stories to tell. "It started in April," says a longtime acquaintance from the western part of the city. "More and more outsiders were suddenly in the neighborhood. Some had beards, others didn’t. Some were well dressed, others wore rags. Completely different. That made them difficult to notice. But all of the locals realized: They aren’t from here." They had silently infiltrated Kabul. The outsiders also appeared in the northern and eastern parts of the city, telling those who asked that they had come to Kabul for a new job or for business reasons.

Then, last Sunday morning, "they came out of the buildings holding white Taliban flags, some of them armed with pistols," says a resident of an eastern district of the city. It was the ultimate victory over America’s high-tech military, whose air surveillance proved powerless against this army of pedestrians and motorcyclists that would overrun Kabul from within and from outside in the ensuing hours. Later that day, they would drive through the city streets in captured police cars – from the air, an image of perfect confusion.

How could such a thing happen? How was it possible to lose Afghanistan to exactly the same group that was defeated – destroyed, really – in just two months back in 2001?

An anti-Taliban protest in Kabul on Thursday: The Taliban rolled in like an avalanche. Foto: Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images

For 20 years, the U.S. – together with Germany, Britain, Canada and other countries – maintained a presence in the country with its dominant military superiority and, at times, with over 130,000 troops. The Afghan army and police were trained and outfitted over and over again for a period equivalent to an entire generation – only to ultimately capitulate almost without a fight to an offensive of pedestrians. The takeover happened in the morning hours of last Sunday, with the Taliban suddenly appearing in Kabul like a ghost army.

It seems as though all of the efforts made in the last two decades – all of the roads, schools, wells and buildings that were built, all of the over $1 trillion that flowed into the country – were not enough to decisively sway the majority of Afghans to the side of the country’s financial backers.

It was like an avalanche from the north, beginning with the loss of several northern districts only to ultimately crash over the entire country, crushing the established state within just a few weeks. The first districts to fall were those with names hardly anyone in the West had ever heard before, but they were followed by entire provinces. Day after day, cities surrendered to the advance: Kunduz, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar. The more dramatic the collapse grew, the quieter it became as resistance faded away – until Kabul, the capital city cowering in fear, simply gave up within a matter of hours.

The shock was followed by panic. Tens of thousands of people rushed the walls of the Kabul airport in a desperate effort to escape the city and the country. The Taliban had long since closed down most of the overland border crossings through which people might have been able to escape to neighboring countries. Soon, the metal fences at the airport gave way. The guards vanished and masses of people forced their way onto the tarmac.

If images from the fall of Kabul have been burned into the world’s collective memory, it will be these ones: Men running alongside a slowly accelerating C-17 military cargo plane, desperately clinging to the landing gear of the taxiing jet. And then, a short time later, small figures losing their grip on the plane and falling to their deaths from hundreds of feet.

People at the airport in Kabul climbing on a plane belonging to the Afghan airline Kam Air. Foto: Wakil Kohsar / AFP

And then the triumphant victors driving through Kabul in pickups, their Kalashnikovs thrust into the air. Sauntering into the Presidential Palace and posing there as if it had always belonged to them. Ensuring the Afghans that they had no reason to be afraid, that they should carry on with their daily lives and nothing would happen to them. All they had to do, the Taliban insisted, was adhere to their rules.

Who is to blame for this disaster? Is it U.S. President Joe Biden, as his predecessor immediately trumpeted to the world? "It will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history," Trump said, ignoring the fact that the deal he signed with the Taliban in February 2020 paved the way for the U.S. withdrawal.

Others saw the fall of Kabul as the "result of a large, organized and cowardly conspiracy," as Atta Mohammad Noor, the warlord and former governor of Mazar-e-Sharif, raged on Facebook following his precipitous helicopter escape. Ashraf Ghani, now the ex-president of Afghanistan, complained in an interview with DER SPIEGEL back in May of an "organized system of support" operated by Pakistan that was destabilizing his country. "The Taliban receive logistics there," Ghani said. "Their finances are there, and recruitment is there."

The list of accusations could continue. But the causes of this failure stretch back to the beginning of the invasion. The grumblers of today were themselves involved in this debacle, the most expensive act of self-deception of the century so far. Only those who understand how this disaster came about will be able to understand how things are likely to progress.

The term self-deception isn’t often used in its plural form, but it should be in the case of Afghanistan. The misconceptions from the West started at the very beginning of the intervention, when Washington thought the military would be sufficient to pacify the country, to the end, when Berlin was still asserting that it would only take just a bit longer to reverse the situation. Another fallacy was the assumption that a nation could be built and protected if enough money was invested and enough training undertaken. The Afghans, too, were guilty of self-deception, with the government and a large share of the population believing for two decades that the U.S. would never pull out.

Some lies served to obscure the true state of affairs in the country, others were the product of ignorance, and still others were truly believed. It was a fatal, collective delusion that ended up costing a six-figure number of Afghan lives along with those of more than 3,500 foreign troops. A fallacy that unintentionally sent Afghanistan on a 20-year detour from one Taliban reign to the next. Meanwhile, an entire generation grew up in the country’s cities under the assumption that the freedoms guaranteed by the foreign powers would be theirs forever.

These lines are born of the experience of having traveled to Afghanistan repeatedly over the course of 19 years and of having lived in Kabul as a correspondent for three of them. And they come from the sad realization that I wrote of the predictable failure of this project back in 2009. "If you take a look at the progression of the last eight years in Afghanistan, the following conclusion is unavoidable: The longer the international engagement there has lasted, the worse the situation has become," was my verdict at the time, "no matter how many thousands of kilometers of roads have been built, how many schools constructed and how many wells dug."

Nobody planned to stumble into this situation. The trigger for the mission was the shock of Sept. 11, 2001. Even as smoke was still rising from the rubble of the Twin Towers in New York, the masterminds of the biggest terror attack in recent history were discovered in Afghanistan. Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden and his followers had developed a state within the "emirate" controlled by the Taliban. Washington’s primary goal was revenge and justice, not nation-building. Then German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder promised Germany’s "unlimited solidarity."

It was a different era, marked by the successes and horrors of the millennium that had just come to an end. The aftershocks of the euphoric events of 1989, when the Eastern Bloc managed to escape Moscow’s iron grip and Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary returned to democracy. On the other hand, the atrocities of Rwanda, the slaughter of 800,000 people as the UN stood by and watched, reinforced the idea of "never again." The NATO mission in Yugoslavia, which was controversial in Germany, managed to stop the Serbs in Kosovo. The Islamist Taliban movement, which ruled over most of Afghanistan following years of civil war, had been merely a side note to the horrors occurring elsewhere.

That was the situation immediately following Sept. 11 when Washington issued an ultimatum to the Taliban, demanding that they arrest and extradite bin Laden and the rest of the al-Qaida leadership or face the consequences. The Taliban said no. Whether they really meant no, and whether they might have been open to a face-saving plan whereby they would stand aside and allow Osama and the other leaders to be captured, as some from Taliban leadership would later claim, remains unsettled. NATO invoked Article 5, the collective defense mandate. The UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1368, legitimizing the coming attack as an act of self-defense.

The attack began on Oct. 7 with ballistic missiles, warplanes and B-2 long-range bombers targeting Kandahar and other targets in Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance, which joined the U.S. in the fight, arrived on horseback wielding Kalashnikovs. Kabul fell without a fight on Nov. 13 and Kandahar, where the Taliban got its start, followed on Dec. 7. The victory had taken just two months.

At the time, during this winter of fury, neither the voting public nor the government apparatus asked about plans for the future or the mission’s goals. In December 2001, the first Afghanistan Conference took place, an assembly of victors, some of whom dreamed of a return of King Mohammed Zahir Shah, who had been deposed in 1973. Missing from that initial gathering, as they would be from all subsequent meetings, were the Taliban. Nobody wanted them there.

I arrived in Afghanistan in the scorching hot summer of 2002, just after the U.S. Air Force had bombed a wedding party in the countryside. At least that’s what survivors said. The U.S. military spokesmen countered that gunmen onboard the U.S. aircraft had fired in self-defense after having been targeted from the ground.

That sounded so absurd that we went there ourselves, traveling unchallenged through the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand and Uruzgan, the cradle of the Taliban. But they were no longer there. "You know," an Afghan man said one evening around a fire at a rural rest stop, "I was also with the Taliban! But they’re history now." His tone was laconic, and he didn’t sound particularly disappointed, since he could now plant poppies again, something that had been strictly forbidden under Taliban rule.

In the bombed village in Uruzgan, it quickly became apparent that the story behind the wedding bombing had unfolded rather differently. The Americans hadn’t just attacked from the air, but had rolled in with a convoy of heavily armed infantrymen. It hadn’t been self-defense at all, but a planned attack. Members of a Kandahar tribe had accused allies of President Hamid Karzai of being members of the Taliban.

If you couldn’t defeat the Americans, you could apparently use them for your own purposes. It was a pattern that would repeat itself over and over again, and which would contribute to the abject failure of the intervention. The great tribal council meeting in Kabul in June 2002 "was the moment when it failed," recalls Thomas Ruttig, who was a UN official from Germany at the time, but who later co-founded the Afghanistan Analysts Network. "The moment when U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad brought back the warlords." They were the men who had destroyed the country in the earlier civil war, but who had helped the U.S. government of President George W. Bush in the fight against the Taliban.

Khalilzad and others forced the tribal council to include 50 additional men on top of the elected representatives – militia leaders who had ruled with fear and aggression before the arrival of the Taliban. They were men like Mohammed "Marshal" Fahim, a Tajik leader who stood accused of perpetrating massacres and kidnappings. And Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek leader who murdered several hundred imprisoned Taliban and later had his opponents raped with bottles. Both of them would go on to serve as vice president of the country. The new holders of power remained uncompromising. They immediately set about exacting revenge on their former enemies and plundering the new government.

A U.S. soldier trying to clear the tarmac at the Kabul Airport on Sunday. Foto: Wakil Kohsar / AFP

Billions of dollars earmarked for construction projects, roads and power plants would vanish in the ensuing years. Court verdicts could be bought, and rampant corruption corroded the state. Farmers, at least in the Pashtun provinces, remained poor and were bullied by the militias of the new rulers. The fighters would show up to hunt down the Taliban, but would then cut down the farmers’ almond trees and plunder their villages.

American and German politicians justified the eternal continuation of the military mission by claiming that the Taliban were "still there." But that wasn’t true. They slowly reappeared after several years of absence, first in the south and then in the north. Starting in 2007, I spent months with a former mullah documenting the Taliban’s slow return in his home district of Andar, south of Kabul. "The ill will toward everything foreign, toward Americans, toward Tajiks, toward police, was seamlessly nourished by real wrongs, exorbitant excesses and invented slights," we wrote at the time.

In the north, the German military rhapsodized at the time about the quiet in the provinces under their watch. When a new police chief was then appointed and he established a regime of horror in Kunduz, beating farmers and destroying their market stands when they didn’t pay sufficient protection money, the German troops stood by and watched from their hill overlooking the city. They were, they pointed out, only there as the "International Security Assistance Force" for the Afghanistan government. That presaged the return of the Taliban in Kunduz, with the Islamists taking control of village after village, until the Germans didn’t even dare to make forays six kilometers from their base. In September 2009, the German military called in U.S. airstrikes in Kunduz that killed 91 innocent people who were looting fuel from two hijacked tanker trucks. The German commander thought they were insurgents.

By then, Germany and the U.S. had invested so much capital, both financial and political, that they had become hostages of their own project. For the lack of other achievements, the international aid community in 2009 sold the mere holding of elections as a great triumph. But when more and more evidence began emerging of election fraud orchestrated by Karzai’s entourage, the West found itself stuck in an insoluble conundrum. If they recognized Karzai’s fraudulent election victory, they would be supporting an illegitimate government. If they did not, they would have to force out a government that they had spent billions of dollars supporting.

In the search for a solution, Washington overrode Karzai’s objections and pushed through a second vote, one that would be monitored by UN election observers. What then took place is among the darkest examples of the opportunism exhibited by the U.S. government and the UN.

At daybreak of Oct. 28, three attackers launched an assault on the UN guesthouse in Kabul, shot the guards to death, pushed their way into the courtyard and set about slaughtering the almost 30 UN employees inside. But they unexpectedly met resistance. Louis Maxwell, a former U.S. soldier and security officer, was able to hold back the attackers from a rooftop for one-and-a-half hours. No help came from the Afghan police or the army – right in the heart of Kabul. Once the three attackers set off their suicide belts, Maxwell staggered out, while four other UN employees were calling others on the outside telling them they would also emerge from hiding.

Just minutes later, they were all dead, the four shot from the front. Maxwell was hit as he was standing on the street between two Afghan soldiers. Neither of them batted an eyelash. They then dragged his body into the courtyard. Months later, internal UN investigators only managed to make progress with their inquiry thanks to a chance video of Maxwell’s murder made by a German security officer from a rooftop several buildings away. But it was all supposed to remain confidential.

In summer 2010, an FBI investigator asked to meet with me in Kabul. When I asked what would happen next, he just shook his head. There would be no further investigations. Washington, he said, didn’t want to expose Karzai. Following the attack, half of the UN staff was pulled out of the country and the second election was cancelled. Hamid Karzai got the victory he wanted.

When Joe Biden announced a concrete date for the pull-out in April, many in Afghanistan still refused to believe that the Americans were leaving.

The Americans and the rest of the NATO allies consistently let Karzai off the hook, along with his corrupt family and his secret service. The British, for example, wanted to focus on combating drug production in the country. When soldiers from the elite British force SAS happened across a gigantic opium storehouse near Kandahar that belonged to the president’s half-brother, all British diplomats were ordered to keep quiet about it. When two German hikers were murdered on the Salang Pass north of Kabul in 2011 and evidence pointed to the entourage of a contract killer for the Afghan secret service NDS, secrecy was once again the order of the day.

It was the era of U.S. President Barack Obama – and his then-vice president, Joe Biden, who experienced the unfolding disaster firsthand for eight years. Just before he became vice president, Biden had abruptly stood up and left a dinner with Karzai in anger after the Afghan president, in response to questions about corruption in Afghanistan, told Biden that the U.S. is ultimately responsible for everything that goes wrong in the country.

Biden’s current stubborn insistence on a complete and rapid withdrawal from the country may be informed by the fury he felt in those years. He knew the situation was a disaster. But it ultimately became even more disastrous than expected.

Obama sought to bring the situation under control by steadily increasing the number of troops. By 2011, more than 100,000 U.S. soldiers were stationed in Afghanistan. They could be victorious anywhere in the country, but not everywhere at the same time. More than anything, though, the rapid increase in the number of U.S. attacks, the rising total of civilian victims and their insurmountable military superiority all fed into their opponent’s most powerful narrative – that the Americans were infidel occupiers who must be driven out.

This narrative of foreign occupation was so useful that it was deployed by the Taliban and the Afghan government alike, just for opposite reasons. It helped the insurgents with mobilization, and it was a source of comfort for those in power. Then-President Hamid Karzai, in particular, transformed the narrative into a kind of mantra: The U.S., he would insist, will never withdraw. Their interests in Afghanistan are simply too great: fantastic natural resources, geopolitical conspiracies and the rest of it. It allowed him to constantly agitate against the American occupiers while having Washington pay the bill.

This alleged powerlessness combined with grand patriotic gestures were the order of the day in Kabul. Even when Donald Trump announced his withdrawal deal with the Taliban in early 2020, many reacted with disbelief. When Biden announced a concrete date for the pull-out in April, many still refused to believe that the Americans were leaving. Even in late June, when Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flew to Washington, there were those in the Presidential Palace and in the ministries who were still hoping that Biden would change his mind at the last moment.

Meanwhile, the massive presence of foreign troops created deep dependencies well beyond the mission’s true aims. One of those was sending the Afghan economy down a dead-end road for more than a decade. The Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), as the headquarters of the individual NATO forces were called, wanted to buy peace in the provinces under their control. They contracted construction projects and sponsored local media outlets and security companies. Slowly but surely, the PRTs became the largest employer almost everywhere. In Faizabad in the northeast, a warlord received a five-figure sum each month for the protection of the army camp – so that he wouldn’t attack it himself.

The corruption, nourished by the billions of dollars being poured into the country, "threatens all U.S. and international efforts in Afghanistan," was the conclusion reached in March by John Sopko, who has been the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction for almost a decade. His reports have long provided a detailed look at the shocking situation in the country.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai (third from left) with a Taliban delegation. Foto: Abdullah Abdullah / Facebook / Reuters

The money attracted the greedy to both the government and the military, creating an elite that stubbornly dug in its feet against all efforts to put a stop to the corruption. Even as recently as July, with the collapse of the government imminent, the corruption continued to worsen, said Yama Torabi, the outgoing founder of Integrity Watch Afghanistan and the country’s best-known anti-corruption activist. "Everyone was trying to drag in money at the last moment," he says.

In early July, the U.S. secretly abandoned their gigantic airbases overnight, first in Kandahar and then in Bagram, north of Kabul. They didn’t even inform their Afghan guards of the coming withdrawal. The Americans’ No. 1 priority was "force protection." The precipitous pull-outs, though, only served to inflame growing resentment among the former allies. When withdrawing from a Special Forces base, the U.S. troops destroyed almost all of the armored vehicles at the site. "They’d end up on the black market anyway," the commander said. Only one vehicle was left intact.

The drama surrounding the withdrawal was certainly not Washington’s intention. But it triggered the internal collapse of the Afghan government, the Afghan military and, indeed, the entire Afghan state. "We have never really believed in anything," says the old militia leader Hadji Jamshid in the north, who already fought against the Taliban 25 years ago. "They fought for the wrong thing. But damn it, they’re prepared to die for it. We aren’t."

"They fought for the wrong thing. But damn it, they’re prepared to die for it. We aren’t.” — Former militia leader Hadji Jamshid

By July, there was hardly anyone in the Western secret services and militaries who had much faith in Afghan security forces. Kabul, though, according to increasingly pessimistic forecasts, would stay in government hands. In June, a prognosis from Washington suggested that Kabul would hold out for six more months. The BND, Germany's foreign intelligence agency, predicted 90 days on the eve of the city’s capitulation. Last Saturday, a high-ranking security official with an international organization in Kabul said the capital would hold out for 17 more days. The constant American air surveillance over the capital with drones and B-52 bombers, the official said, would prevent the Taliban from attacking Kabul until the U.S. withdrawal was complete.

But that’s not how things turned out. Since spring, the Taliban has been able to smuggle thousands of fighters into the capital, apparently undisturbed by Afghan security forces. During our July meeting in Kabul, the Taliban military commander accurately told me that Taliban fighters had long since taken up position at the Qargha Reservoir. On the day of the takeover, videos taken at the amusement park there show the fighters joyfully driving bumper cars and jumping on a trampoline.

But as accurate as his claims were about the Taliban’s presence at the amusement park, it remains unclear precisely what the new rulers plan to do with the power suddenly in their possession. The commander said that Taliban leadership was open to the idea of a joint transition government. Not even the higher-ups in the Taliban, it would seem, expected the country’s political leadership to implode so suddenly and President Ashraf Ghani to fly out of the city on Sunday, apparently finding shelter in the United Arab Emirates. The takeover of Kabul was "unexpected," Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the 53-year-old lead negotiator for the Taliban’s political arm, said in a video message.

Which of the quartet of Taliban leaders will ultimately end up at the top? Not even that is clear. Mullah Baradar, who immediately returned to Afghanistan from Qatar, helped found the Taliban with the legendary Mullah Omar and is the most senior of the four. Baradar was instrumental in negotiating the 2020 deal with Washington – talks to which the Afghan government was not invited – that laid the cornerstone for the Taliban takeover.

The Taliban’s true top-ranking "emir" still hasn’t even made a public appearance. Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who took over his current position when his predecessor was killed in a U.S. drone attack, is thought to be in Quetta, Pakistan, where numerous Taliban leaders reside.

That leaves two other members of the leadership quartet, one of whom is likely to have gained no small amount of prestige recently. Taliban military leader Mullah Mohammad Yakub, around 30 years old, propagated a military strategy of targeted attacks, long-term bribery and clever infiltration in recent weeks – an approach that proved fabulously successful. The son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, Yakub had long been considered too young, too inexperienced and too self-centered to lay claim to become a successor to his father.

That leaves Sirajuddudin Haqqani, commander of the terror network Haqqani, which is thought to maintain close relations with both the al-Qaida leadership and to the Pakistani secret service ISI. He is well known in Washington: He is on the FBI’s list of the world’s most-wanted terrorists and the CIA supported his father 40 years ago in his fight against Afghanistan’s Soviet occupiers.

Given this cast of characters, it is far too early to posit an answer to the key question being asked in the West: Will Afghanistan once again become a breeding ground of terror? What the Taliban want at all costs is power over Afghanistan. On that count, they are nationalists. Terror attacks overseas, though, as they learned to their detriment in 2001, can quickly lead to losing power. A lesson which has likely contributed to their becoming an organization that is obsessive about control, in contrast to the first time they ruled Afghanistan prior to the U.S.-led invasion.

Still, they are not able to decide on their own, nor can they rule the entire country alone. For the past several months, the Pakistani secret service has been assiduously developing jihad groups in the north and east of Afghanistan that could develop into terror threats to the rest of the world: The Islamic State, Jaish-e-Mohammed and others. Pakistan’s leadership, which has for decades been obsessed with the country’s conflict with India, would like to maintain Afghanistan as a dependent hinterland and intends to continue exerting pressure on the Taliban.

People stranded at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Foto: Akhter Gulfam / EPA

Installing Haqqani would likely give Pakistan significant leverage in the Afghan leadership. Mullah Baradar, by contrast – who spent eight years in Pakistani custody and was maltreated after he established unauthorized contact to the Karzai government – would likely be an embittered adversary. He was only released in 2018 because Washington hoped that it would be possible to reach an agreement with the Taliban if he was part of the negotiations. And that hope was fulfilled.

This week, the victorious Islamist radicals struck a more conciliatory tone in their statements and first press conference. Of course, they insisted, girls will be allowed to continue their schooling and women will be permitted to work. But such assurances mean little; the Taliban have proven in the past their proclivity for rapidly changing course. As soon as the last U.S. troops have left the Kabul airport for good and the Taliban have consolidated their power, that conciliation could be quickly abandoned.

TV moderator Shabnam Dawran, one of the country’s most prominent journalists, has already described her experiences with the new rulers in a video: "Today, I wanted to go to my work; I did not give up my courage." She was told to go home and that the rules had changed. "Our life is at great risk," Dawran says in the video, then asking the world for help.

Serious resistance to the Taliban rulers isn’t likely in the near future. To be sure, erstwhile Vice President Amrullah Saleh did not leave the country as Ashraf Ghani did, instead returning to his home in the Panjshir Valley, the last bit of the country that isn’t under Taliban control. But Saleh won’t be able to do much from there. The valley is legendary for being home to Ahmed Shah Masood, who was able to prevent both the Soviet military and the Taliban from taking the valley. Back then, he benefited from supply lines stretching into neighboring countries. Today, though, the valley is completely surrounded by the Taliban and also doesn’t have an airport.

Most pressing, though, could soon be the question as to how the Taliban can rule at all. Already, several million Afghans are dependent on food aid from the World Food Program. Western Afghanistan is currently suffering under the worst drought it has seen in a decade. The state coffers are empty and the central bank’s assets are largely stored outside the country, where they are inaccessible. Whether the West likes it or not, if aid deliveries are not made and assistance is not provided to the country’s health-care facilities, many people will die.

Soon, the humanitarian situation may force the West to do something it spent the last 20 years trying at all costs to avoid: Support Taliban rule in Afghanistan. This “Graveyard of Empires” is their country. They gave a deep f*** to the USA🇺🇸, UK 🇬🇧, Germany 🇩🇪 , France 🇫🇷, Italy 🇮🇹, Australia 🇦🇺, European Union 🇪🇺, North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) and all their “Scrotum Licker Puppets) withe their ‘Most Sophisticated War Machines of Modern Era’. They will not f*** with Afghanistan in an illegal wars again.

[thegoditwasbuiltfor]

Homeschooling

I first became a parent 16 years ago, in 2004.  When I was considering all the avenues available to benefit my parental style, I had briefly considered homeschooling, among other decisions such as only feeding my baby non-packaged foods I had prepared myself and using cloth diapers.  Like most parents, I was ambitious and wanted the best for my baby, and I was willing to jump through incredibly tiny, flaming hoops to make that happen.  However, as I went week by week, month by month with my eldest child through the stages of infancy, I quickly realized that some decisions, unlike others, were big steps in completely different directions, and many of these choices were unnecessarily exorbitant.

Lo and behold, I didn’t feed my baby only non-packaged foods (and I couldn’t have even if I wanted to; she didn’t particularly prefer my homemade foods to the ones that came in jars and boxes), I didn’t use cloth diapers, and I decided early on that homeschooling was for parents who had the privilege of staying home, which I did not.  It wasn’t that I considered any of those choices impossible to make happen, or even that I didn’t consider myself one of “those” kinds of parents--I did, and I do.  But the truth is, some things were just too difficult to make happen, and in some cases would have been detrimental to my finances and daily routine.  Long story short, I made the less-popular choice to favour my time and money.  Go ahead and call me an asshole.

For almost a decade, and two more kids later, the basic system of frugality and time-saving I had created for my family’s day-to-day life was working efficiently, like a well-oiled machine.  The kids had a routine that included going to daycare, before-and-after, and/or school.  And for the duration of the decade, my kids excelled in school, easily bringing home A’s and B’s without much trouble.  I can probably count on one hand the number of times I had to sit down and help a kid with homework.

So in 2013, when we were planning my son, I had no reason to think that my system wouldn’t continue to be effective for a further decade.  And when my son was born the following year, I had given less than 10 seconds thought to how his education would begin and end, because public schooling had always worked for us.  I returned to work within the year of his birth (and quit shortly after), I had a great time jumping from one daycare to another, including the part where I had to sue a provider.  By the time my son was in a comfortable childcare facility, the only question left was which of the many schools in the neighbourhood he would attend.

In the end, I let old habits take over.  I made an appointment at the school my eldest daughter had attended to have my son enrolled.  I vividly remember sitting him down at a table full of legos right outside the office as I filled out the paperwork.  I was handed a flyer for a Kindergarten “Meet and Greet” which was held a few weeks later, and we went on our way.  We met with the Kindergarten teacher and several other parents of school-aged children who would be starting at the same time as my boy.  The evening was a success, but of course my system had predictably ensured me of that.

When it was time to start school, my son was nervous (and so was I, does that ever get any easier?), but he marched in like the big boy that he is and didn’t even shed a tear.  He had a great day, and couldn’t wait to go back.  By the end of the week, he was praising his teacher as the greatest human being on Earth.  By the end of the month, half of the kids in his class were his “best friends” and he was thrilled, overall, with his experience.  By the time parent-teacher meetings rolled around in November, he was quite comfortable and knew his way around the place like he had been there his whole life.  His teacher had nothing but good things to tell me about his progress and behaviour.  All was well, as I had always expected it to be.

It was 2019, and we were home over Christmas break, enjoying some much-needed family time and we briefly discussed an illness sweeping through China.  Boy, were we in for a treat.

When school resumed, all went back to normal, and for 2 months, we had no issues.  Sometime before the new year, things were going so smoothly we had even added both swimming on Tuesdays, and Karate on Thursdays to our schedule.  In January, thinking I was ahead of the curve, I signed my son up for two more activities: Soccer in the spring, and Karate Camp over March break.

By February, as everyone in North America already knows, the proverbial shit had hit the fan: SARS-CoV-2 had reached us and was beginning to spread.  It’s spread began slowly, and I had not yet registered the thought that it was coming for Canada.  We went ahead with our daily lives like nothing had changed.  So I remember the confusion and general disbelief in March as the school had sent out letters stating that the government was considering a provincial shutdown of schools just ahead of Spring Break.  Teachers scrambled to put together take-home packages of work, and even though a date was set as the “last day” of school, mid-way through the week, less than half of the kids were showing up, and my son was one of only two students to attend over those last few days.  

I spoke with the other mom and we both agreed to keep our kids home over the remaining days, since no one else would be there, and I went back to the school the next day to pick up a work package.  At that time, the thought of homeschooling my son for a couple of extra weeks felt like child’s play.  I had no issue going over simple words and math, reading, and playing games for a while.  

Eventually Spring Break simply became the end of the school year, children did not reattend at all for the remainder of the year, and some teachers had put together remote learning programs.  Since my son was in Kindergarten, I wasn’t terribly worried about it, I figured everything would be back to normal by the following school year.  For the second time in my carefully-cultivated plan, I was wrong.

We spent our summer in the usual way: trips to the beach, birthdays, playdates, and camping.  We were being cautious and avoided spending time with too many people, but at that time the numbers were still very low.  Back then, everything was still open, people were still coming and going without issue and the spread of Covid simply didn’t exist in my province.  We wore masks and socially distanced when we went out, but the threat of catching the virus was minimal, we had fewer than 10 cases province-wide and no deaths.  And those numbers had held for several months.

By August 2020, our numbers had climbed exponentially and there was no going back.  It was then that my husband spoke to us about being extra careful.  He encouraged me to do as much of my shopping as possible online, and to simply avoid leaving the house at all.  It became clear that we could no longer see our friends, go to the park, have a shopping day at the mall, or even go in-store to buy groceries.  My son and I were shut in, isolated from everyone, and quite suddenly it was like our world had gone dark.  In the coming months, we couldn’t even visit with family, we cancelled Halloween and Christmas, and New years.  But before even those things, the biggest change in both our lives was the sudden realization that he would not be returning to school at all.

August brought not only high numbers of infection, but also the seemingly unavoidable fact that I would be homeschooling my son.  The numbers were getting higher, but the Government of Canada was already tired of shelling out the CERB payment and it was becoming clear that businesses were expected to reopen and children were expected to return to school as if nothing was wrong.  Though the Government was preaching safety, their reopening plan felt very flawed, and by this point I was terrified of anyone in my family getting sick.  I didn’t want to expose my little boy to a virus that would almost certainly kill him, being an asthmatic child, and having a history of being sickly.

I contacted the school in the final weeks of August to ask them what their options were, regarding Covid, and if, like other schools, they were offering some sort of remote learning.  The school informed us that remote learning was reserved for children who were ill and had a doctor’s note, but since I was not leaving the house to get said note, we would not be able to provide this.  I simply decided the best course of action would be to prepare for homeschooling.  I had no idea how to do this, since I had decided some 15 years previous to simply not do it, and I didn’t have a clue where to begin.  Searching up as much information as I could, I found out that registering your child with the government as “homeschooled” was a good first step, so I did that.  I also researched some programs online that would offer curriculum-based education and some books for children in my son’s grade.  

I learned that there is virtually no support, outside of the odd website here and there with a handful of basic assignments or worksheets, for parents who homeschool.  The curriculum was confusing and I had no friends who homeshooled so I didn’t have anyone to ask.  There was no simple answer.  I literally went into this with very little planning, and no idea what the hell I was doing.  I bought a workbook on Amazon and paid for a couple of programs.  At the time, I felt like I had done everything in my power to prepare my son for a successful grade 1 year, and initially still believed that we would return to school within a couple of months.  The “flatten the curve” ideal was nice, and I clung to it, like a drowning person to a life preserver.  For a third time, I was wrong.

By December, we were already running out of work to do, I was out hundreds of dollars for paper, ink, supplies, books, and programs, and I was hitting a wall.  The holidays put me in a terrible place, mentally and emotionally, and I crashed.  I had a breakdown and struggled to hold on to the motivation to continue teaching my son at home.  Though we were still spending the week doing schoolwork, it really felt like we spent most of our days distracted, watching TV, going for short walks, and playing video games.  Lunch break had stretched over those few months from 30 minutes into several hours, some days, and often I would just declare the day dead, and give up.  My son’s motivation was also waning, despite his young age, he simply didn’t have much interest in writing a journal entry or playing one of the learning games I was shelling out a monthly fee for.  

At one point, I decided we would take a month off to enjoy a nice long break, and hit the books hard when we came back.  Our recommencing was soft and bleak, to no surprise.  Even though the work was interesting and full of information, the book was colourful and fun, even though I added a mandatory “Hump Day, Fun Day” each week where we would do a craft or have a scavenger hunt, even though my son’s work was good and showed he was learning--we were just tired.  We were tired of staying home, we were tired of never seeing any of our friends or family, we were tired of just doing the same crap over and over again everyday.  It had become monotonous and exhausting for either of us to keep it up.

By February, we had become resigned to our task and were doing the work involved, and were maybe feeling a bit better, but we weren’t any more enthusiastic about it.  We had finished most of the workbook and were practically spending the whole day reading.  The truth is, my son already has most of the grade 1 skills laid out in the curriculum, so teaching him really wasn’t even difficult.  But by this point, I had accepted that homeschooling, while possible, was not my skillset and I had no intention of continuing this into 2022.  As an old dog, learning this new trick was too difficult.  Even with Covid raging, as it still is now, in March, I have made the difficult decision to go back to an almost-normal life.

Discussing this with my son proved frightening to him, but I told him that the cases in our country really don’t show a lot of little kids getting terribly sick and that I really didn’t think it was a risk for him.  I also decided that part of the issue is the fact that I have never been well-suited to being a stay at home mom, which I have now been doing against my better judgement for most of 7 years.  My son is very attached to me, and I love that, but it was time for him to discover other people and places a while ago, and realizing that Covid is deterring him (and myself) from living a normal life has been a big pill to swallow.  While I still have a great appreciation and understanding of how dangerous this virus is, I decided that my son is returning to school for grade 2 in the fall, and I will be returning to work.  

In the meantime, we are taking small steps to increase our exposure to the world.  We have been isolated for so long that even a simple walk around the block sometimes has us feeling stuffy and unwell the next day, and we have to retrain our immune systems not to overreact to everything outside of our house.  We have resumed seeing one friend and several family members, despite restrictions.  I’m sure some people will consider this inappropriate, and I understand that.  But after everything that has happened over the following year, including several deadly events and a case of Covid for my 87 year old grandmother (whom I could not see or even speak to), I am not losing anymore time with my family.  I am not jumping in with both feet and eyes closed, I am taking careful steps to ensure safety and I am being cautious, still wearing a mask and socially distancing.  But I have decided that this life of loneliness is not okay long-term for me or my son, and I have no intention of living like a hermit crab for the rest of my life, and my son having no friends or outside connections going into his next years of life.  Sorry, but not sorry.

For the first few months, the constant stream of news on my television promised “we will get through this,” and “we will flatten the curve.”  But I have come to the realization that Covid is here to stay.  We didn’t follow the protocols (worldwide) quickly enough to eradicate this illness, and as a result there is no “going back to normal”, we have to accept that this is our “new normal”, as has been stated almost constantly, but I don’t know that everyone is really on the same page as to what that means.  I still see and hear people talking about “when things go back to normal” as if the “new normal” is temporary.  I’m not here writing this shit to convince anyone else, just stating that I am personally decided that I have to go ahead in my own life, and allow my son to go ahead in his, armed with the idea that things will never be like they were before, and that trying to fight this the way we were doing, by literally never seeing anyone or going anywhere, was a great solution for a while and now it’s not.

In closing, I am hopeful of my future, I have plans I want to put into action and I am hoping we are not going to be permanently inconvenienced by Covid, but ultimately, I can’t wait to start living my life again, even with the mask and sanitizer glued to me at all times.  I intend to enjoy the rest of this year, even in small amounts, and I hope everyone else stays safe and does the same.  Understanding that Covid will not be gone anytime soon, even with this vaccine, we have to learn to live in this new life.

[thedivinefish]

TGIWednesday and having a soul mate energy connection

TGIWednesday News

My mentor and friend used to say, “You’ll have a soul mate connection in every city, county, province, state, country in the world.”  Now I know what he meant by that and it can be a 3 lifetimes ago, child or parent or best friend of yours who was perhaps in your family then, but now embodies the man of your dreams.  It’s that person that when you see them you light up and want to embrace them and tell them they’re beautiful and that “every little thing's gonna be alright.”  This could be your child, best friend or your work life spouse.  It does not always have to be romantic (picture Thelma and Louise) so if you don’t have this yet or may have lost it, I am praying as you hear or read this now that it rekindles in your current someone or that ideal person shows up when you least expect it.  I always ask Spirit to bring in that which is meant to be and that which is simple and easy. The Beatles said, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" but perhaps it can get you a discount!  Go to the shop this month and use the code LOVE44 to receive an automatic 22% off the Ideal Love Audio MP3 for $44 through the end of this month. 

TGIWednesday Download

~  SOUL MATE CONNECTION ~ I believe, think, know and feel that I am in tune with the soul mate connection. I know, when, where how and why to have Spirit show me the simple and ideal way for more love to show up in my life here and now.  I am ready, willing and able to take my self-love and love for others to the next level.  I am asking in all time lines and languages and so it is.  

From the Fish Box

Q & A with Jimmy Q) "Hello Jimmy. I have Love clearing from last year. Listening very often. Don’t see much changes in this subject. Do you think it’s will work for me? Or last year clearing is enough? I am single for 5 years now. Thank u. Regards," - Elena  A) "Thanks, I would never ever ever give up. I would make sure my friends knew I was single and looking I would consider ALL dating Apps on line and I would join us this month, last Wed of the month for our Zoom event which is all about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy."- Jimmy "So your recent Wed email about love made me reflect back -- I don't think I ever told you this... I remember listening to the "soulmate/love and romance MBW audio" in Feb 2015.  I had a revelation that I didn't need to be in a relationship to embody love.  Because of that, I took more risks and had more fun.  I had also been interested in someone for a while (since the previous Oct), but had done nothing about it.  A few weeks after Valentine's Day, I finally had the guts to invite my crush to a dance.  That was the start of a serious relationship which finally culminated in our marriage in July 2020.  Our relationship has definitely not been perfect, and we have faced so many obstacles, but I still believe that we are perfect for each other.  Sometimes, when times are tough, I listen to that audio again and remind myself about love and self-love - and let you clear all the gunk that is tarnishing our relationship."  XXXOOO, Amber / Canada PS.  You know how long I struggled to find someone -- I really feel like that audio was the start of that!!!!!  

February Zoom Switches Event

These calls are unique in that you have the benefit of tapping into a multitude of issues that our participants with truly insightful comments have submitted for the group each month on a different topic.

We compile that list of dozens of write-ins and one by one, Jimmy clears them ALL together during the live calls.  And know too that during the LIVE call, Jimmy brings in additional pieces from Spirit in the moment of reading each item that really expand on things and cover the clearings in a much deeper way.   The value in this is tremendous! Instead of paying $68 for a half hour one on one with me where we might clear a dozen or so items, you can join our group each month for just $22 where together in 30 minutes you will watch in silence and amazement as you hear and feel the shifts of over 100 items - most of which you haven’t even thought of until you hear them LIVE!! NEXT LIVE ZOOM EVENT Wed. February 24th at 7:30pm  Register now - $22 (includes replay) https://calendly.com/jmh-calls/feb2021-switches Theme: Clearing the blocks and calling in The One! 🥰 All about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy. Want to increase and strengthen the love bond with your current partner?  Is your energy clear and aligned to bring in that someone special? What past love traumas do you still need to clear? What beliefs do you have about love that are getting in your way?

Register Here - $22

 Tampa Office Sessions

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS - Friday Feb 19th

Jimmy Mack will be offering sessions at Dr. Charla Tempone’s NEW office at Swann Holistic Health Solutions from 10-4 on Friday February 19th. 403 S. Habana Ave. Tampa, FL 33609 Just south of Azeele next to Skin Savvy http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at  ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

Fish Food 

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell the Fish - 365 Daily Inspirations and Affirmations - by Jimmy Mack FEBRUARY 10th "Today I will commune with father, mother, creator, God wherever I am I will see the face of God in a rainbow. I will hear God's voice rustling in the trees. I will know that I am connected and an integral part of the divine and all that is. Today I will believe."

Live Radio Show Appearances

2021 UPDATE THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW GOING FORWARD As you know by now, I will not be returning to our weekly show in 2021. We will of course be guest or co-hosting on a variety of other shows on occasion.  So stay tuned to this section of TGIW as a variety of future show line ups will be posted! 

Watch hundreds of replays for FREE here in the archives: https://thejimmymackhealingshow.com/

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

Nightly prayers include COVID-19. Each night we work on scrambling the frequency for everyone on the prayer list. Your name will be added to a special VIP Prayer list where Jimmy will use his intelligent computer software, src4you which runs 24/7, to delete the negative and increase the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of favorable outcomes for you.  

In addition, throughout the full 30-days, Jimmy will be dialing into your energetic signature each day upon rising and make certain that you are a clear yes, unclear to no and running forward before you start your day. He is doing the heavy lifting for you around 3am NY time while most of you are asleep in order to smooth out your way and increase your most favorable life outcomes.

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively  and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Upon written email request, for each new order we offer a one-time email analysis via the intelligent healing software that Jimmy uses on your behalf.  Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes!

You can add yourself and those living in your immediate household and yes you can include pets! Merely include everyone’s names and Jimmy will add them to his daily prayers. *NOTE if the MDP Service was purchased via a special telesummit or radio show offer, prayers will be limited to BUYER ONLY - and will not include family members or pets.

You can run this monthly and stop at any time after the 30 days is up, you will have the opportunity to renew and update your list each month but are under no obligation. I believe you will experience magical transformations and make progress every day! 

Sign Up for 30-Days - $99

​For those who aren't familiar,​ below is ​a​ list of the​ 30+​ audio​s in the MyBeliefWorks series.... Find a topic that addresses your issue(s), click on the link to read more. We had a lot of help downloading & channeling these over the years & they keep getting better. Don't forget... you can share these with your immediate friends and family.

Abundance Abuse Addiction Body Scan: Head to Toe Bountiful Harvest Creatives Daily GPS Reset Dark Energies/Fears Decision Making Diet & Exercise Education & Learning Family & Relatives Financial Windfall The Gold Coin Healing Body Disorders Healing Mental Stress

Holiday Stress Increasing Intuition IRS & Tax Time Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Improving Sex Improving Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss Youth & Vitality  

**Can't See The Full Email? Click Here to View Online**

Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes The Tackle Box & The Dowser's Handbook ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! Level II offers Practitioner Certification for those who qualify.

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

TGIFunny

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[divinefishingtips]

TGIWednesday and having a soul mate energy connection

TGIWednesday News

My mentor and friend used to say, “You’ll have a soul mate connection in every city, county, province, state, country in the world.”  Now I know what he meant by that and it can be a 3 lifetimes ago, child or parent or best friend of yours who was perhaps in your family then, but now embodies the man of your dreams.  It’s that person that when you see them you light up and want to embrace them and tell them they’re beautiful and that “every little thing's gonna be alright.”  This could be your child, best friend or your work life spouse.  It does not always have to be romantic (picture Thelma and Louise) so if you don’t have this yet or may have lost it, I am praying as you hear or read this now that it rekindles in your current someone or that ideal person shows up when you least expect it.  I always ask Spirit to bring in that which is meant to be and that which is simple and easy. The Beatles said, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" but perhaps it can get you a discount!  Go to the shop this month and use the code LOVE44 to receive an automatic 22% off the Ideal Love Audio MP3 for $44 through the end of this month. 

TGIWednesday Download

~  SOUL MATE CONNECTION ~ I believe, think, know and feel that I am in tune with the soul mate connection. I know, when, where how and why to have Spirit show me the simple and ideal way for more love to show up in my life here and now.  I am ready, willing and able to take my self-love and love for others to the next level.  I am asking in all time lines and languages and so it is.  

From the Fish Box

Q & A with Jimmy Q) "Hello Jimmy. I have Love clearing from last year. Listening very often. Don’t see much changes in this subject. Do you think it’s will work for me? Or last year clearing is enough? I am single for 5 years now. Thank u. Regards," - Elena  A) "Thanks, I would never ever ever give up. I would make sure my friends knew I was single and looking I would consider ALL dating Apps on line and I would join us this month, last Wed of the month for our Zoom event which is all about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy."- Jimmy "So your recent Wed email about love made me reflect back -- I don't think I ever told you this... I remember listening to the "soulmate/love and romance MBW audio" in Feb 2015.  I had a revelation that I didn't need to be in a relationship to embody love.  Because of that, I took more risks and had more fun.  I had also been interested in someone for a while (since the previous Oct), but had done nothing about it.  A few weeks after Valentine's Day, I finally had the guts to invite my crush to a dance.  That was the start of a serious relationship which finally culminated in our marriage in July 2020.  Our relationship has definitely not been perfect, and we have faced so many obstacles, but I still believe that we are perfect for each other.  Sometimes, when times are tough, I listen to that audio again and remind myself about love and self-love - and let you clear all the gunk that is tarnishing our relationship."  XXXOOO, Amber / Canada PS.  You know how long I struggled to find someone -- I really feel like that audio was the start of that!!!!!  

February Zoom Switches Event

These calls are unique in that you have the benefit of tapping into a multitude of issues that our participants with truly insightful comments have submitted for the group each month on a different topic.

We compile that list of dozens of write-ins and one by one, Jimmy clears them ALL together during the live calls.  And know too that during the LIVE call, Jimmy brings in additional pieces from Spirit in the moment of reading each item that really expand on things and cover the clearings in a much deeper way.   The value in this is tremendous! Instead of paying $68 for a half hour one on one with me where we might clear a dozen or so items, you can join our group each month for just $22 where together in 30 minutes you will watch in silence and amazement as you hear and feel the shifts of over 100 items - most of which you haven’t even thought of until you hear them LIVE!! NEXT LIVE ZOOM EVENT Wed. February 24th at 7:30pm  Register now - $22 (includes replay) https://calendly.com/jmh-calls/feb2021-switches Theme: Clearing the blocks and calling in The One! 🥰 All about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy. Want to increase and strengthen the love bond with your current partner?  Is your energy clear and aligned to bring in that someone special? What past love traumas do you still need to clear? What beliefs do you have about love that are getting in your way?

Register Here - $22

 Tampa Office Sessions

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS - Friday Feb 19th

Jimmy Mack will be offering sessions at Dr. Charla Tempone’s NEW office at Swann Holistic Health Solutions from 10-4 on Friday February 19th. 403 S. Habana Ave. Tampa, FL 33609 Just south of Azeele next to Skin Savvy http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at  ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

Fish Food 

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell the Fish - 365 Daily Inspirations and Affirmations - by Jimmy Mack FEBRUARY 10th "Today I will commune with father, mother, creator, God wherever I am I will see the face of God in a rainbow. I will hear God's voice rustling in the trees. I will know that I am connected and an integral part of the divine and all that is. Today I will believe."

Live Radio Show Appearances

2021 UPDATE THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW GOING FORWARD As you know by now, I will not be returning to our weekly show in 2021. We will of course be guest or co-hosting on a variety of other shows on occasion.  So stay tuned to this section of TGIW as a variety of future show line ups will be posted! 

Watch hundreds of replays for FREE here in the archives: https://thejimmymackhealingshow.com/

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

Nightly prayers include COVID-19. Each night we work on scrambling the frequency for everyone on the prayer list. Your name will be added to a special VIP Prayer list where Jimmy will use his intelligent computer software, src4you which runs 24/7, to delete the negative and increase the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of favorable outcomes for you.  

In addition, throughout the full 30-days, Jimmy will be dialing into your energetic signature each day upon rising and make certain that you are a clear yes, unclear to no and running forward before you start your day. He is doing the heavy lifting for you around 3am NY time while most of you are asleep in order to smooth out your way and increase your most favorable life outcomes.

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively  and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Upon written email request, for each new order we offer a one-time email analysis via the intelligent healing software that Jimmy uses on your behalf.  Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes!

You can add yourself and those living in your immediate household and yes you can include pets! Merely include everyone’s names and Jimmy will add them to his daily prayers. *NOTE if the MDP Service was purchased via a special telesummit or radio show offer, prayers will be limited to BUYER ONLY - and will not include family members or pets.

You can run this monthly and stop at any time after the 30 days is up, you will have the opportunity to renew and update your list each month but are under no obligation. I believe you will experience magical transformations and make progress every day! 

Sign Up for 30-Days - $99

​For those who aren't familiar,​ below is ​a​ list of the​ 30+​ audio​s in the MyBeliefWorks series.... Find a topic that addresses your issue(s), click on the link to read more. We had a lot of help downloading & channeling these over the years & they keep getting better. Don't forget... you can share these with your immediate friends and family.

Abundance Abuse Addiction Body Scan: Head to Toe Bountiful Harvest Creatives Daily GPS Reset Dark Energies/Fears Decision Making Diet & Exercise Education & Learning Family & Relatives Financial Windfall The Gold Coin Healing Body Disorders Healing Mental Stress

Holiday Stress Increasing Intuition IRS & Tax Time Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Improving Sex Improving Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss Youth & Vitality  

**Can't See The Full Email? Click Here to View Online**

Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes The Tackle Box & The Dowser's Handbook ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! Level II offers Practitioner Certification for those who qualify.

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

TGIFunny

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Jimmy Mack | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session ​​​ Transformational Healing of Body, Mind​ & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations!​ ​ Download the My Liquid Fish™ Starter Kit (*Updated December 2020) Audio MP3 Downloads​ and books​ to improve your life! Get Certified in ​My Liquid Fish™Change Made Simple™ Watch Free Videos on YouTube Radio Show Archives Shop for ​Supplements ​ http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyright ©1998-2021 All Rights Reserved  

-------------------------------------------------- TGIW newsletter managed by: Sandy Bidinger Digital Marketing Specialist at SMBeConnected Solutions www.smbeconnected.com  

Stay connected!

  Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

[365dailyaffirmations]

TGIWednesday and having a soul mate energy connection

TGIWednesday News

My mentor and friend used to say, “You’ll have a soul mate connection in every city, county, province, state, country in the world.”  Now I know what he meant by that and it can be a 3 lifetimes ago, child or parent or best friend of yours who was perhaps in your family then, but now embodies the man of your dreams.  It’s that person that when you see them you light up and want to embrace them and tell them they’re beautiful and that “every little thing's gonna be alright.”  This could be your child, best friend or your work life spouse.  It does not always have to be romantic (picture Thelma and Louise) so if you don’t have this yet or may have lost it, I am praying as you hear or read this now that it rekindles in your current someone or that ideal person shows up when you least expect it.  I always ask Spirit to bring in that which is meant to be and that which is simple and easy. The Beatles said, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" but perhaps it can get you a discount!  Go to the shop this month and use the code LOVE44 to receive an automatic 22% off the Ideal Love Audio MP3 for $44 through the end of this month. 

TGIWednesday Download

~  SOUL MATE CONNECTION ~ I believe, think, know and feel that I am in tune with the soul mate connection. I know, when, where how and why to have Spirit show me the simple and ideal way for more love to show up in my life here and now.  I am ready, willing and able to take my self-love and love for others to the next level.  I am asking in all time lines and languages and so it is.  

From the Fish Box

Q & A with Jimmy Q) "Hello Jimmy. I have Love clearing from last year. Listening very often. Don’t see much changes in this subject. Do you think it’s will work for me? Or last year clearing is enough? I am single for 5 years now. Thank u. Regards," - Elena  A) "Thanks, I would never ever ever give up. I would make sure my friends knew I was single and looking I would consider ALL dating Apps on line and I would join us this month, last Wed of the month for our Zoom event which is all about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy."- Jimmy "So your recent Wed email about love made me reflect back -- I don't think I ever told you this... I remember listening to the "soulmate/love and romance MBW audio" in Feb 2015.  I had a revelation that I didn't need to be in a relationship to embody love.  Because of that, I took more risks and had more fun.  I had also been interested in someone for a while (since the previous Oct), but had done nothing about it.  A few weeks after Valentine's Day, I finally had the guts to invite my crush to a dance.  That was the start of a serious relationship which finally culminated in our marriage in July 2020.  Our relationship has definitely not been perfect, and we have faced so many obstacles, but I still believe that we are perfect for each other.  Sometimes, when times are tough, I listen to that audio again and remind myself about love and self-love - and let you clear all the gunk that is tarnishing our relationship."  XXXOOO, Amber / Canada PS.  You know how long I struggled to find someone -- I really feel like that audio was the start of that!!!!!  

February Zoom Switches Event

These calls are unique in that you have the benefit of tapping into a multitude of issues that our participants with truly insightful comments have submitted for the group each month on a different topic.

We compile that list of dozens of write-ins and one by one, Jimmy clears them ALL together during the live calls.  And know too that during the LIVE call, Jimmy brings in additional pieces from Spirit in the moment of reading each item that really expand on things and cover the clearings in a much deeper way.   The value in this is tremendous! Instead of paying $68 for a half hour one on one with me where we might clear a dozen or so items, you can join our group each month for just $22 where together in 30 minutes you will watch in silence and amazement as you hear and feel the shifts of over 100 items - most of which you haven’t even thought of until you hear them LIVE!! NEXT LIVE ZOOM EVENT Wed. February 24th at 7:30pm  Register now - $22 (includes replay) https://calendly.com/jmh-calls/feb2021-switches Theme: Clearing the blocks and calling in The One! 🥰 All about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy. Want to increase and strengthen the love bond with your current partner?  Is your energy clear and aligned to bring in that someone special? What past love traumas do you still need to clear? What beliefs do you have about love that are getting in your way?

Register Here - $22

 Tampa Office Sessions

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS - Friday Feb 19th

Jimmy Mack will be offering sessions at Dr. Charla Tempone’s NEW office at Swann Holistic Health Solutions from 10-4 on Friday February 19th. 403 S. Habana Ave. Tampa, FL 33609 Just south of Azeele next to Skin Savvy http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at  ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

Fish Food 

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell the Fish - 365 Daily Inspirations and Affirmations - by Jimmy Mack FEBRUARY 10th "Today I will commune with father, mother, creator, God wherever I am I will see the face of God in a rainbow. I will hear God's voice rustling in the trees. I will know that I am connected and an integral part of the divine and all that is. Today I will believe."

Live Radio Show Appearances

2021 UPDATE THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW GOING FORWARD As you know by now, I will not be returning to our weekly show in 2021. We will of course be guest or co-hosting on a variety of other shows on occasion.  So stay tuned to this section of TGIW as a variety of future show line ups will be posted! 

Watch hundreds of replays for FREE here in the archives: https://thejimmymackhealingshow.com/

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

Nightly prayers include COVID-19. Each night we work on scrambling the frequency for everyone on the prayer list. Your name will be added to a special VIP Prayer list where Jimmy will use his intelligent computer software, src4you which runs 24/7, to delete the negative and increase the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of favorable outcomes for you.  

In addition, throughout the full 30-days, Jimmy will be dialing into your energetic signature each day upon rising and make certain that you are a clear yes, unclear to no and running forward before you start your day. He is doing the heavy lifting for you around 3am NY time while most of you are asleep in order to smooth out your way and increase your most favorable life outcomes.

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively  and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Upon written email request, for each new order we offer a one-time email analysis via the intelligent healing software that Jimmy uses on your behalf.  Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes!

You can add yourself and those living in your immediate household and yes you can include pets! Merely include everyone’s names and Jimmy will add them to his daily prayers. *NOTE if the MDP Service was purchased via a special telesummit or radio show offer, prayers will be limited to BUYER ONLY - and will not include family members or pets.

You can run this monthly and stop at any time after the 30 days is up, you will have the opportunity to renew and update your list each month but are under no obligation. I believe you will experience magical transformations and make progress every day! 

Sign Up for 30-Days - $99

​For those who aren't familiar,​ below is ​a​ list of the​ 30+​ audio​s in the MyBeliefWorks series.... Find a topic that addresses your issue(s), click on the link to read more. We had a lot of help downloading & channeling these over the years & they keep getting better. Don't forget... you can share these with your immediate friends and family.

Abundance Abuse Addiction Body Scan: Head to Toe Bountiful Harvest Creatives Daily GPS Reset Dark Energies/Fears Decision Making Diet & Exercise Education & Learning Family & Relatives Financial Windfall The Gold Coin Healing Body Disorders Healing Mental Stress

Holiday Stress Increasing Intuition IRS & Tax Time Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Improving Sex Improving Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss Youth & Vitality  

**Can't See The Full Email? Click Here to View Online**

Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes The Tackle Box & The Dowser's Handbook ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! Level II offers Practitioner Certification for those who qualify.

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

TGIFunny

Share

Tweet

Forward

Pinterest

Jimmy Mack | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session ​​​ Transformational Healing of Body, Mind​ & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations!​ ​ Download the My Liquid Fish™ Starter Kit (*Updated December 2020) Audio MP3 Downloads​ and books​ to improve your life! Get Certified in ​My Liquid Fish™Change Made Simple™ Watch Free Videos on YouTube Radio Show Archives Shop for ​Supplements ​ http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyright ©1998-2021 All Rights Reserved  

-------------------------------------------------- TGIW newsletter managed by: Sandy Bidinger Digital Marketing Specialist at SMBeConnected Solutions www.smbeconnected.com  

Stay connected!

  Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

[advancedthetapractitioner]

TGIWednesday and having a soul mate energy connection

TGIWednesday News

My mentor and friend used to say, “You’ll have a soul mate connection in every city, county, province, state, country in the world.”  Now I know what he meant by that and it can be a 3 lifetimes ago, child or parent or best friend of yours who was perhaps in your family then, but now embodies the man of your dreams.  It’s that person that when you see them you light up and want to embrace them and tell them they’re beautiful and that “every little thing's gonna be alright.”  This could be your child, best friend or your work life spouse.  It does not always have to be romantic (picture Thelma and Louise) so if you don’t have this yet or may have lost it, I am praying as you hear or read this now that it rekindles in your current someone or that ideal person shows up when you least expect it.  I always ask Spirit to bring in that which is meant to be and that which is simple and easy. The Beatles said, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" but perhaps it can get you a discount!  Go to the shop this month and use the code LOVE44 to receive an automatic 22% off the Ideal Love Audio MP3 for $44 through the end of this month. 

TGIWednesday Download

~  SOUL MATE CONNECTION ~ I believe, think, know and feel that I am in tune with the soul mate connection. I know, when, where how and why to have Spirit show me the simple and ideal way for more love to show up in my life here and now.  I am ready, willing and able to take my self-love and love for others to the next level.  I am asking in all time lines and languages and so it is.  

From the Fish Box

Q & A with Jimmy Q) "Hello Jimmy. I have Love clearing from last year. Listening very often. Don’t see much changes in this subject. Do you think it’s will work for me? Or last year clearing is enough? I am single for 5 years now. Thank u. Regards," - Elena  A) "Thanks, I would never ever ever give up. I would make sure my friends knew I was single and looking I would consider ALL dating Apps on line and I would join us this month, last Wed of the month for our Zoom event which is all about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy."- Jimmy "So your recent Wed email about love made me reflect back -- I don't think I ever told you this... I remember listening to the "soulmate/love and romance MBW audio" in Feb 2015.  I had a revelation that I didn't need to be in a relationship to embody love.  Because of that, I took more risks and had more fun.  I had also been interested in someone for a while (since the previous Oct), but had done nothing about it.  A few weeks after Valentine's Day, I finally had the guts to invite my crush to a dance.  That was the start of a serious relationship which finally culminated in our marriage in July 2020.  Our relationship has definitely not been perfect, and we have faced so many obstacles, but I still believe that we are perfect for each other.  Sometimes, when times are tough, I listen to that audio again and remind myself about love and self-love - and let you clear all the gunk that is tarnishing our relationship."  XXXOOO, Amber / Canada PS.  You know how long I struggled to find someone -- I really feel like that audio was the start of that!!!!!  

February Zoom Switches Event

These calls are unique in that you have the benefit of tapping into a multitude of issues that our participants with truly insightful comments have submitted for the group each month on a different topic.

We compile that list of dozens of write-ins and one by one, Jimmy clears them ALL together during the live calls.  And know too that during the LIVE call, Jimmy brings in additional pieces from Spirit in the moment of reading each item that really expand on things and cover the clearings in a much deeper way.   The value in this is tremendous! Instead of paying $68 for a half hour one on one with me where we might clear a dozen or so items, you can join our group each month for just $22 where together in 30 minutes you will watch in silence and amazement as you hear and feel the shifts of over 100 items - most of which you haven’t even thought of until you hear them LIVE!! NEXT LIVE ZOOM EVENT Wed. February 24th at 7:30pm  Register now - $22 (includes replay) https://calendly.com/jmh-calls/feb2021-switches Theme: Clearing the blocks and calling in The One! 🥰 All about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy. Want to increase and strengthen the love bond with your current partner?  Is your energy clear and aligned to bring in that someone special? What past love traumas do you still need to clear? What beliefs do you have about love that are getting in your way?

Register Here - $22

 Tampa Office Sessions

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS - Friday Feb 19th

Jimmy Mack will be offering sessions at Dr. Charla Tempone’s NEW office at Swann Holistic Health Solutions from 10-4 on Friday February 19th. 403 S. Habana Ave. Tampa, FL 33609 Just south of Azeele next to Skin Savvy http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at  ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

Fish Food 

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell the Fish - 365 Daily Inspirations and Affirmations - by Jimmy Mack FEBRUARY 10th "Today I will commune with father, mother, creator, God wherever I am I will see the face of God in a rainbow. I will hear God's voice rustling in the trees. I will know that I am connected and an integral part of the divine and all that is. Today I will believe."

Live Radio Show Appearances

2021 UPDATE THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW GOING FORWARD As you know by now, I will not be returning to our weekly show in 2021. We will of course be guest or co-hosting on a variety of other shows on occasion.  So stay tuned to this section of TGIW as a variety of future show line ups will be posted! 

Watch hundreds of replays for FREE here in the archives: https://thejimmymackhealingshow.com/

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

Nightly prayers include COVID-19. Each night we work on scrambling the frequency for everyone on the prayer list. Your name will be added to a special VIP Prayer list where Jimmy will use his intelligent computer software, src4you which runs 24/7, to delete the negative and increase the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of favorable outcomes for you.  

In addition, throughout the full 30-days, Jimmy will be dialing into your energetic signature each day upon rising and make certain that you are a clear yes, unclear to no and running forward before you start your day. He is doing the heavy lifting for you around 3am NY time while most of you are asleep in order to smooth out your way and increase your most favorable life outcomes.

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively  and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Upon written email request, for each new order we offer a one-time email analysis via the intelligent healing software that Jimmy uses on your behalf.  Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes!

You can add yourself and those living in your immediate household and yes you can include pets! Merely include everyone’s names and Jimmy will add them to his daily prayers. *NOTE if the MDP Service was purchased via a special telesummit or radio show offer, prayers will be limited to BUYER ONLY - and will not include family members or pets.

You can run this monthly and stop at any time after the 30 days is up, you will have the opportunity to renew and update your list each month but are under no obligation. I believe you will experience magical transformations and make progress every day! 

Sign Up for 30-Days - $99

​For those who aren't familiar,​ below is ​a​ list of the​ 30+​ audio​s in the MyBeliefWorks series.... Find a topic that addresses your issue(s), click on the link to read more. We had a lot of help downloading & channeling these over the years & they keep getting better. Don't forget... you can share these with your immediate friends and family.

Abundance Abuse Addiction Body Scan: Head to Toe Bountiful Harvest Creatives Daily GPS Reset Dark Energies/Fears Decision Making Diet & Exercise Education & Learning Family & Relatives Financial Windfall The Gold Coin Healing Body Disorders Healing Mental Stress

Holiday Stress Increasing Intuition IRS & Tax Time Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Improving Sex Improving Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss Youth & Vitality  

**Can't See The Full Email? Click Here to View Online**

Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes The Tackle Box & The Dowser's Handbook ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! Level II offers Practitioner Certification for those who qualify.

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

TGIFunny

Share

Tweet

Forward

Pinterest

Jimmy Mack | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session ​​​ Transformational Healing of Body, Mind​ & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations!​ ​ Download the My Liquid Fish™ Starter Kit (*Updated December 2020) Audio MP3 Downloads​ and books​ to improve your life! Get Certified in ​My Liquid Fish™Change Made Simple™ Watch Free Videos on YouTube Radio Show Archives Shop for ​Supplements ​ http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyright ©1998-2021 All Rights Reserved  

-------------------------------------------------- TGIW newsletter managed by: Sandy Bidinger Digital Marketing Specialist at SMBeConnected Solutions www.smbeconnected.com  

Stay connected!

  Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

[laineyslamprophony]

Why I decided to study and live in China

January 1, 2018

Hello everyone,

It has been wayyy too long since I posted anything on this blog. My original plan was to blog at least once a week sharing my living and studying abroad experience in Qingdao, China (side note: for those who aren’t aware, I was studying Mandarin full-time there from March 2015 to July 2017). But life just got busy, with adjusting and re-adjusting to living in China, full-time Mandarin studies, socializing, and everything in between.  2.5 years in China rolled by and now… I’ve been back in Vancouver, Canada since July 19, 2017.

Fortunately, I’ve been documenting some of my personal experiences during my time in China on my handy dandy iPhone notes, which I often treat as a list maker and journal. So without further ado, let’s get the first post going! Better late than never, right? ;)

I thought that for my first post, sharing my reasons for studying and living in China would be the most appropriate. Many people have asked me before, during, and after my stay in China why I decided to live there.

Some background info about myself: I am a first generation Cantonese Canadian who was born and lived in Vancouver all my life. I was not one of those students who was ecstatic about studying and living abroad. I’ve travelled to places (mostly going on tours with my family) but I never seriously considered going abroad. Vancouver was where I felt planted.

During my first two terms at UBC, I took Mandarin as part of my Arts language credits. I had plans of going to Shanghai after graduating from uni to further my Mandarin. But that goal didn’t come to fruition as I decided to stop taking Mandarin after my second term of it. 4 days of 2-hour classes each week was too much for me, on top of other courses and extracurricular commitments. Plus, I really didn’t like memorizing and writing Chinese characters, something that I felt was too intricate and can be easily forgotten. I didn’t really see the point in learning Mandarin further.

But some things happened post-grad that changed my perspective on learning Mandarin. Here are the reasons why I decided to embark on an adventure to study and live in China. My decision didn’t happen overnight—it was a slow progression that took time and introspection:

1) My trip to Zhongshan, China (my parents’ home city) in February and March of 2014 changed me. The unexpected connection that I had with a cousin there made me become more interested in learning Chinese and the culture. Being unable to write in Chinese or read the Chinese on WeChat (the Chinese version of WhatsApp, but more advanced) frustrated me and I had a strong desire to learn Chinese thereafter. I also went on a tour to Guilin and surrounding areas with my mom during that time. Something about the nature and culture there and the music and colours during a theatrical performances we went to unexpectedly captivated me. It definitely made me change my views on China.

2) Coming back to Vancouver from China, I started exploring more Chinese things, like listening to Chinese music. I discovered Jay Chou (a Taiwanese singer) and Khalil Fong (a Hong Kong-based Mandarin singing artist). I like how they both infused western-influenced music like R&B with Chinese flavour. I also explored more documentaries about China through Richmond’s youth film festival (Your Kontinent). And I joined a Mandarin Meet-up near my place to practice a bit of Mandarin before going to China.

3) The connections I made with people who have worked or studied in China and elsewhere had an influence. Such people included an expat on my return flight from China to Vancouver who lived in Guangzhou for 10 years, a girl from Vancouver who I randomly stumbled upon on Facebook and from her LinkedIn, learned that she was studying Mandarin in China, my second cousin from China who is studying in the US, a friend who blogged about his living abroad experience, another friend who did her co-op in the province of Shandong (which was the province I eventually lived in in China), and other people.

4) I wanted to learn more about Chinese culture and my roots through the people I meet and the places I go to. I wanted to meet locals and be able to talk to them in Mandarin to get to know China more authentically (although my mother tongue is Cantonese).

5) I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone ‘cause I had lived in Vancouver all my life. I needed to get outside of the western bubble that I had been living in.

6) I don't want to live with the regret of not taking this golden opportunity. I hear so many saying that they wished they’d learned another language when they were younger. If I didn’t go then while I was still had time, then when will I go?

7) I will learn a lot thru this experience, like cultural sensitivity, creativity, other ways of living and thinking, communication, etc. And I will come back and be able to share my experiences with people, hopefully to encourage them to explore and live outside of what they’re familiar with.

One thing I must acknowledge is that my going to China to study was a privilege. I am aware that I was in a unique position post-grad to pursue something not everyone gets to do, even if they wanted to.

I chose a route that was less travelled. Instead of looking for a job right away, I found myself veering toward a life-changing direction. But of course, none of this would have been possible without financial support from my parents. I tried obtaining a Chinese Government Scholarship, something I only became more aware about near the second term of my Mandarin studies in Qingdao. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the scholarship.

If it was not for me re-visiting China back in 2014 to travel and for some personal family matters, I probably would not have re-visited my goal to study Mandarin in China. Looking back, my decision to live in China still surprises me. I just didn’t think a westernized gal like me who grew up all her life in the comfort bubble of Vancouver and thought China was a dirty and congested place would call it her second home at 25 years old and stay there for 2.5 years. 

Life is full of surprises and you never know what you may discover along the way. I’m so glad that I embraced such an opportunity. It was not an easy decision and I’d many doubts along the way. And many times during my time in China as well. But all in all, it was totally worth it. I also encourage you to embrace those opportunities because it’s in those moments where magic happens.

[belfastdan]

2017

What a year.

It’s mid November, 2017. Tonight as I write this, I’m 40,000 feet high heading towards Ireland for the first time since last Winter. I am listening to Ólafur Arnolds’ beautiful tones. I look out the window to my left and see the most spectacular view of a clear, star filled sky with the Northern Lights overshadowing them with their beauty and amazement. I look down and see ice fields with what looks like rivers running through them - or maybe it’s Greenland, IDK. It’s a beautiful moment regardless. I think a lot, as I always do when I travel. Where I am going? What’s next? Thinking of the emotions I’ve felt, thought patterns, events and the life changes I have made this past year.

This was a spare of the moment trip. I was homesick recently - probably the most I’d felt since immigrating to Canada, I wasn’t working - nor having luck finding a job, a bit lonely and missing my family and friends from home too much to not take the opportunity of gaining the energy my family, friends and Belfast gives me.

2017 was all the things. Exciting, heart warming, tough, eye opening and sad.

I returned to Canada after my last trip home in January. It was very cold and remained very cold till mid-April. My roommate was on a trip for the following 8 weeks. I was lonely, sad and struggled leaving the apartment in the cold with no structure or reason to. I spent most of my days desperately trying to find work, however with my confidence being low from loosing a job unexpectedly, my visa at the time ending in spring and my French not up to scratch to actually work in French, I wasn’t successful.

My true friends came out of the limelight at this time and helped immensely with support, keeping me busy, inviting me over and sending the odd message to let me know they were there. I was very lucky.

Volunteering By February, I decided to put my energy and time to use and began volunteering with a wonderful not-for-profit organisation in Montreal called Santropol Roulant. I was back in the game of having a focus and reason to leave home each day, doing something that was important and meeting new friends. I helped mostly with their Meals on Wheels program, preparing and delivering food to old and vulnerable people throughout with city. I met so many amazing people here, practised my french and did important work. It was great to work for something with capitalism not at its heart.

PR Battle Before loosing my job, I was hoping to and had already started to apply for Permanent Residency through a Quebec program, but after the job loss, that too was out the window, as I didn’t have enough credentials not being French. So I started to aim my focus and energy at leaving Quebec finally after 2 amazing years there. Off course the province I chose to settle in didn’t allow me to apply directly to the federal government’s Express Entry program, so I had no other choice but to leave the province of Quebec to apply and start fresh again.

East to West Canada Trying to make the best of what had happened and having all this time on my hands, I decided to travel to parts of Canada I hadn’t been to yet. Mainly to see if there were any other cities I could see myself living in and also to explore the country I thought I loved so well. From east to west, it really inspired me. I started with a beautiful lone train journey to the east coast from Montreal, Quebec to New Brunswick and then Halifax, Nova Scotia. I had the best trip. I wasn’t long alone, where I was greeted by friend of a Montreal friend, Andrew, who not having met before, offered the most amazing hospitality, showing me the city he loved and introducing me to his wonderful friends. The highlight of this trip was a rainy drive out to Peggy’s Cove with his friends to see the rugged coast line and beautiful scenery, then finishing at his friend’s apartment singing and playing Irish folk songs while eating their local delicacy kebabs.

A month later, I continued my journey across Canada to the west this time. I travelled to Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, Lake Minnewaka, Vermillion Lakes, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefields, Jasper and then took the train through The Rockies to Vancouver. Again, I was so lucky to have my friend Roxanne to host me, show me around and travel with on arrival to Alberta. The Rockies were out of this world, postcard material, Edmonton was super fun - with such an edge and underground scene that I didn’t expect. It helped that a lot of my Montreal friends were from there and gave me lists of things to do too.

Tom then brought me into Vancouver with a bang, again introducing me to his incredible friends, I had a true Vancouver experience on my week there. What a beautiful city, with a soul connected to nature. I’ll never forget this trip.

Summer Towards the start of my summer, I made the decision that Toronto would be the next city for me, so I decided to set a date for the of summer, for one last glorious summer in the city I love so well. After all, we don’t put ourselves through the harshest winter there for nothing. From June to September I make each moment count, I celebrated Montreal, I danced, I became closer to my tight knitted friendships groups, I practised yoga daily, cooked, drank wine and beer with friends in the park, sunbathed, biked, went camping, apple picking and walks, volunteered and laughed. It was special and will always be remembered as one of my favourites. Saying goodbye in September was so difficult though, after creating such a life for myself, arriving to a city I didn’t know many people and being so accepted as part of the furniture will never be forgotten nor will my love for this incredible place I’ll always call home.

Toronto Initially, from all cities I’d visited so far, Toronto made sense, it was close to Europe still, close to Montreal for those odd weekends, I could speak English again, it’s basically the capital (without Parliament) with most of Canada’s population, industries and opportunities. I made it happen. I used to host on Airbnb in Belfast and once I hosted two people from Canada. I now live with those two, Sarah and Michael and also Danielle and our cat Billie. It really has been the perfect mixture of fun, comfort, family in a beautiful modern townhouse.

Generally I haven’t fitted in nor feel as settled as I did in Montreal yet, I have to give myself time and patience though. I know that will come - there’s obviously a reason so many choose to come to live in Toronto. Once I find that perfect job (now many weeks in the failed making), I’m sure my lifestyle will more suit this huge vibrant city more than fun’employed.

Onwards I’ve hopefully landed a few freelance contracts that will start over the coming weeks, which will keep me busy and focused and help pay those never ending life bills. I’m excited about the unknown,

I’ve also applied for Permanent Residency - and now in the bureaucratic waiting to not go anywhere. I really hope everything works out. I wake up thinking about it, I goto sleep thinking about it. I worry. But I hope. With Brexit and Nationalist Britain, I really don’t see myself returning to Northern Ireland in the next few years, so this is my opportunity to make something else better for myself. I’m open to whatever happens, but I will try this first.

That’s it - a year in one blog post. Thanks for reading and for always supporting me on my journey. The never ending one.

Now, where’s the Guinness?

[ibilenews]

Coronavirus: Trauma lingers as Wuhan reopens

It has been nearly a week since academic Han Lining was allowed to leave his studio apartment in Wuhan where he spent 76 days alone, but the assistant economics professor is still worried about going outside.

He tries to spend as little time outdoors as possible, taking along a stack of alcohol wipes and hand sanitiser, cleaning every surface before sitting down.

"At least I'm not wearing any gloves," he said with nervous laughter close to his home in Wuchang, a stone's throw from Wuhan University where he teaches.

The 30-year-old had fallen ill just before the city was put into lockdown on Jan 23, and did not want to go to his parents' home in the Hankou district across the Yangtze River, about half an hour away.

"At the time, we weren't sure how the virus was spreading and I realised I was near Huanan market too. So when I got a bad stomach and a mild sore throat, which they said was one of the symptoms, I decided to stay away from everyone," he said.

Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where many of the early patients had worked or shopped at and where the virus was believed to have originated, has been shut since Jan 1.

Still, it was an agonising few weeks for Dr Han not knowing if he had been infected with the coronavirus, and living in an apartment "mostly meant for sleeping". He does not even have a rice cooker or broadband Internet.

With everyone ordered to go under quarantine, he would spend his days lying in bed thinking about the sudden outbreak that had gripped his home city. "I think I was depressed," he said quietly. "It was almost like when I was doing my PhD, when I felt completely alone and no one really cared about what I was researching."

What little social interaction he had with his neighbourhood committee, which was helping to organise food deliveries, and his neighbours, who sometimes got his groceries, helped keep him sane.

"Everyone was angry and trying to assign blame," he recalled. "Some targeted the management, some the government. For me, I looked towards my religion, which says to forgive, but it's difficult," said Dr Han, a Christian.

Many were unhappy with the local community management, he said, recounting an incident in which medical reinforcement teams were put up in apartments in his building where some units doubled as hotel rooms.

"Maybe it was a way for them to vent their anger, but the neighbours banded together to complain and had them remove the medical workers, who they thought were a risk to our health," he said.

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

The two-month lockdown may have just been lifted, and some semblance of normal life is returning to this city of 11 million. But anger, anguish and anxiety still linger.

"It might not come out now, but post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very real and could manifest in various ways in months or even years to come," said counsellor Du Mingjun, who, together with her colleagues at Hubei Province Counsellors Association (HPCA), set up a wellness hotline as soon as the lockdown kicked in.

Initially staffed by just one counsellor catering to Hubei residents, the hotline quickly expanded to cover all of China with some 400 trained counsellors taking turns to man the phones.

But calls came from all over the world, including from overseas Chinese living in Canada, Italy and across South-east Asia.

"We saw a trend in the calls we received. In the early days, it was from people worried that they couldn't get help, then it became people who were paranoid that they might have contracted the virus.

"By March, many of the calls were about domestic tensions because underlying family problems were getting exacerbated by the stressful situation," said Ms Du, 49.

By the end of the two-month lockdown, the hotline had received 2,367 calls.

When the announcement came on March 25 that the lockdown would soon be lifted, it was the first time in eight weeks the hotline logged no calls at night.

Ms Du and her team are keeping the service going, and are now training counsellors to help those dealing with grief and trauma as Wuhan and the wider Hubei province begin to process their ordeal.

"After the outbreak, while we see more cars and people on the streets, the trauma of those 76 days, the spectre of that time, still remains and we need a long process of therapy," said Mr Tang Guobin, vice-chairman of the HPCA.

"In the early days, we were dealing with an emergency. Now, it's about the follow-up. There's a lot of remaining trauma that would manifest over time, in all sorts of ways, so we need to be prepared for that."

SOLACE IN MUSIC

While censors worked overtime to scrub social media clean of a torrent of rants in the early chaotic days of the outbreak, people sought solace elsewhere, like in the music of singer-songwriter Sean Feng, also known as Feng Xiang.

The former psychiatrist returned from Beijing to his home town of Wuhan in 2014 to be a musician and has been living in the city since.

Shortly after the lockdown, he found that his song, Hanyang Gate Garden, a wistful ode to the Hankou district released in 2016 and sung in the Wuhan dialect, was being shared widely across social media.

Thousands commented on microblogging site Weibo that the song made them weep as it reminded them of a simpler life in Wuhan before the coronavirus outbreak.

"This is a city that has been thoroughly traumatised," said Mr Feng, 55, who wrote the song during a "difficult period" in his life.

"When you frame this as a war, it is that we've lost over 2,000 people, which sounds like a statistic when really what happened is that someone has lost a loved one, an already painful experience which has been repeated over 2,000 times across the city."

The Sunday Times spoke to him on Tuesday, before the death toll in Wuhan was revised upwards on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 3,869.

His music therapy sessions at a local hospital have been suspended because of the outbreak, but Mr Feng still organises occasional mini gigs online to offer people some comfort and cheer.

"Trauma is something you cannot get rid of in the short term, but the Chinese mindset is to get things over and done with," he said, predicting a "crest" in the need for mental healthcare in Wuhan as PTSD sets in.

"You cannot remove trauma. It's about how someone learns to live with it. There will be many who will have to live with this for their entire lives."

GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS

Shop owners like Wang Jing, 66, are anxious just to get on with salvaging her business.

Her Cantonese restaurant in downtown Wuhan has been shut for two months and was only recently given the green light to reopen.

Even so, hardly anyone is dining in at her two-storey eatery as gatherings are still prohibited; delivery orders have been slow too.

"People come here to eat because it's a special occasion because, for these people, Cantonese food is not something you have every day," she said. "With the economy looking so bad, people are also trying to spend less."

Small and medium-sized retail businesses are the hardest hit in the city, and many may not survive for much longer.

A study done by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and Xiamen University showed that consumption, which has accounted for over 40 per cent of China's gross domestic product (GDP) in the past decade, nosedived in the 12 weeks since the outbreak started in January. The research was conducted using daily transaction data in 214 cities from late January.

The worst-performing city was, unsurprisingly, Wuhan.

Over 12 weeks till the middle of this month, spending fell by 70 per cent in Wuhan, especially at restaurants, entertainment outlets and retail shops. At the height of the epidemic in February, spending dipped by as much as 87 per cent.

"I think economic recovery will take a while. There are many variables in this equation," said Associate Professor Qian Wenlan from NUS Business School, who co-authored the study.

"You can see clearly in the data. Once the government confirmed and reported instances of asymptomatic cases starting from April 1, consumption went down again after signs of recovery. When people see there is a real risk this infection can come back again, spending dips."

As Wuhan was recording next to no daily infections late last month, health officials bowed to public pressure and decided to make available the number of symptom-free cases in its daily report.

Such cases continue to unnerve the Chinese public as they could still pass on the virus.

And the health authorities, especially in Wuhan, maintain a tight grip on anti-coronavirus measures such as social distancing rules.

Wuhan ranked eighth last year among the economies of Chinese cities, with a GDP of 1.62 trillion yuan (S$325.7 billion) and a growth rate of 7.4 per cent. Long an industrial city well known for its automotive industry, the central Chinese city has been nurturing high-value-added industries such as by hosting semiconductor suppliers and other tech companies.

Most carmakers in Wuhan have restarted production lines since last month, although also with strict virus-control measures.

Work at a joint venture plant between Japanese automaker Honda and Dongfeng Motor resumed on March 11, but workers have to have their temperatures taken and are misted with disinfectant twice before being allowed onto the factory floor. Break time is staggered and low stools for resting are set at least 1m apart.

Most of its 12,000 workers have been asked to work an additional 1½ hours on top of their usual eight-hour shifts, said assistant director of the final assembly plant Li Shiquan.

When The Sunday Times visited on April 8, a sign in the factory stated the goal for that day: 1,237 cars, a significant increase from the usual 1,060.

The China Passenger Car Association has said that nationwide sales for last month was down 40 per cent from last year. But it predicted that weekly sales will rebound to last year's levels by the end of this month.

WUHAN PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED

When taxi driver Wu Jianjun, 38, got back behind the wheel two days after the lockdown was lifted, he had trouble remembering the roads of Wuhan.

He had been stranded in his home town of Xiaogan, 60km from Wuhan, since late January.

"Business has been slow too because people still can't come out. I'm happy if I make 200 yuan a day now," he said.

"You know, after this outbreak, you can sense the people of Wuhan have changed. It's like they used to be more forceful, more blunt, more fiery. But now everyone is a bit more subdued."

[bigyack-com]

Muting Coronavirus Anger, China Empowers Its Internet Police

SHANGHAI — As China tries to reshape the narrative of its fumbled response to the coronavirus outbreak, it is turning to a new breed of police that carry out real-world reprisals for digital misdeeds.The internet police, as they are known here, have gained power as the Communist Party has worked to seize greater control over the thoughts, words, and even memories of China’s 800 million web users. Now, they are emerging as a bulwark against the groundswell of anger over governance breakdowns that exacerbated the epidemic.Officers arrive with an unexpected rap at the door of online critics. They drag off offenders for hours of interrogation. They force their targets to sign loyalty pledges and recant remarks deemed politically unacceptable, even if those words were made in the relative privacy of a group chat.In the central city of Chengdu, a recent law school graduate, Li Yuchen, said he was pulled from his home in early February after writing a sarcastic treatise in classical Chinese about censorship. The police questioned him from late afternoon until midnight, first asking him whether he loved his country, to which he said yes. Mr. Li said he was forced to sign a statement disavowing his views and pledging loyalty to the party.The experience mirrored what happened to the hero of Mr. Li’s essay, a Wuhan doctor named Li Wenliang, who tried to alert colleagues about the spread of a mysterious virus in a chat group, only to be called to a police station and forced to sign a confession for spreading rumors.When Dr. Li died of the coronavirus, waves of mourning and anger swept across China’s internet.“Li Wenliang said that a healthy society shouldn’t have only one voice,” wrote Mr. Li, who is not related to Dr. Li. “I think the best way to mourn him is to continue to be a citizen” and continue writing, he wrote in a later post on WeChat.That has become more difficult. To stanch anger over Dr. Li’s death, and the deaths of the many others his warning might have saved, authorities have doubled down on the very tactics that drove the fury in the first place: using the internet police to muffle the most outspoken.Little is known about the group, formally part of the Cybersecurity Defense Bureau, which has long policed hacking and online fraud. But occasional government releases offer clues. In 2016, the 50-million person region of Guangxi said it had almost 1,200 internet police officers. The goal was to have one internet police officer for every 10,000 people in the region, a sign of the force’s ambitions.In the early years of Chinese social media, punishments doled out to critics were rarely severe. As millions took to clones of Twitter and Facebook, which are banned in China, censorship usually meant disappearing posts and inaccessible foreign websites. Now the police actively pursue the authors of forbidden material, and irritation has been replaced by fear.Friends and families warn each other not to speak too openly in group chats. The changes have come as China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has pushed hard to extend the party’s iron-fisted rule over the internet.Mr. Xi has given new resources to domestic security forces. The internet police’s uncanny speed in finding people, who might believe they are hidden among the internet’s hordes of anonymous grumblers, is the result of billions of dollars in new spending on surveillance technology.China’s Ministry of Public Security, which controls the police, did not respond to requests for comment, including the role of the internet police in silencing Dr. Li. But experts said the statement he signed and later posted online matched the types of letters the internet police force online critics to endorse.“One reason for the online outrage after Li Wenliang’s death was because people know that what he encountered is just a normal Chinese person’s experience,” said Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s not the local police’s fault. It’s Xi’s error that this kind of thing has become a part of daily life.”Mr. Xi moved quickly to coordinate online oversight after he took over in 2012. He created a new organization, the Cyberspace Administration of China, to coordinate censorship online and suppress social-media influencers who didn’t always toe the party line.The 2015 emergence of the internet police signaled Mr. Xi’s ambitions to take online suppression to an even greater level. That year local police stations created social media accounts to highlight internet arrests.Before long, the internet police became the state’s sharpest tool for prodding online rabble rousers into silence. Often hanging back and monitoring, officers would tap local law enforcement to pull offenders in and question them — what they called “touching the ground.” Placed at increasingly local police stations, they have carried out campaigns cracking down on everything from telecom fraud to use of Twitter.Before the coronavirus epidemic, their focus was the protests in Hong Kong.Bole Cheng, a 45-year old financial worker, got called in last autumn. He had lost his cool during a debate about Hong Kong and referred to Mr. Xi with a pun that means “Little Wicked.” Two days later, two officers were at his door.“They said I was talking drivel on WeChat and there was a problem, so I had to go to the station with them,” he said. During five hours of interrogation, they told Mr. Cheng they used an artificial-intelligence powered search engine to find him.In the coming months, they contacted him twice more. Once they bragged that their powers were expanding, and they had been given new national security responsibilities. Another time, Mr. Cheng discussed George Orwell with a young officer, who sought to distance his work from what is described in “1984.”“He was trying to show that he read books, and that the stories weren’t about China. That Orwell wasn’t talking about us,” he said.When the police threatened to make it difficult for his son to attend school, Mr. Cheng gave in and signed a letter promising to refrain from discussing Hong Kong and to stop insulting the country’s leader.Mr. Xiao, of Berkeley, said internet police activity has only intensified during the coronavirus outbreak. Sporadic government reports attest to this. In the first weeks of the year, the police in the region of Guangxi investigated 385 people for spreading rumors. In Qinghai Province, they pulled in 72. In the Ningxia region, another 66.Online censors have been working overtime too. Since Dr. Li’s death, he has become a censored topic. Huge numbers of posts and accounts have disappeared from social media.“Since social media has existed in China, there’s been nothing like the current explosion of speech,” said Hannah Yeung, who runs an online group dedicated to preserving posts, which she calls the cyber graveyard. So tight has the censorship become in recent weeks, she said she feared Chinese people were losing the ability to chronicle the past.“After people scream and shout, their posts get deleted and there’s no more voice of opposition. Nothing gets fixed,” she said.Early signs indicate the campaign has at least partially succeeded. The Chinese internet is filled with apparently sincere praise for the government’s efforts. Records of early missteps are mostly gone.That success poses its own threats. If local or regional officials bury problems, the country’s leaders could miss early warnings of major crises, like the warnings doctors in Wuhan issued in early January.When Miles Zhang went on a business trip in early January to Wuhan, he was one of the few ready for the outbreak. He wore goggles and a mask at the insistence of his wife, who had read online about the crackdown against Dr. Li before the news was censored.“I really stood out,” he recalled. The precautions may have saved him from getting the coronavirus, which was then quietly spreading across the city.Such interest in blocked information had gotten Mr. Zhang in trouble only the year before. In September, the police dragged him in for questioning over his use of a software to thwart the government’s internet filters. After hours of interrogation, they threw him out onto the street. Stunned at the experience, he walked the several kilometers home to his worried family.Just back from a trip to Canada, he began planning to leave China for good.“I used to think the censorship was a technical problem that could be overcome,” Mr. Zhang said. “But this time was like a smack to the head. This is state terrorism.”Lin Qiqing contributed research from Shanghai. Read the full article

[mikemortgage]

Chasing cold cash: How icebergs became the field of dreams for believers and schemers

David Meyers, the chief executive of Canadian Iceberg Vodka, a spirit made with water harvested from icebergs off Newfoundland’s coast, was meeting with a colleague at his office in Toronto’s northeast end on a snowy February morning, when the phone rang.

John Batten, the company’s warehouse manager in Port Union, Nfld., was on the line. He sounded baffled and bewildered, beset by a crisis he didn’t have an answer for. He had been doing his rounds, he explained, checking on the facility’s 30,000-litre iceberg water storage tanks to ensure the pressure gauges were all at 50, indicating the water inside was still circulating, instead of frozen solid.

But one of the pumps was registering zero and one of the pipes was displaced. Upon further inspection, the tank was empty and some $12,000 worth of iceberg water was gone.

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“It is not like the tank leaked out,” Meyers recalled recently. “One of the pipes was askew, a pipe that should have been connected to a pump, so it appears the thieves attached a hose to that and drained it out, somehow. To be honest, we’ve been scratching our heads around here ever since.”

Police in Newfoundland continue to investigate the iceberg water whodunit, a heist that made international headlines and went viral on social media, but have yet to produce any concrete leads. What makes the mystery so appealing is the substance that was stolen: a precious liquid, of sorts, tapped from massive hunks of floating ice that, in their immensity, exude an almost mythic quality.

Icebergs are ancient history, indeed. They come to Newfoundland and Labrador from a seemingly distant place (Greenland, actually), buoyed along by the ocean current, melting beneath the summer sun and bleeding away perceived riches — that is, 100-per-cent pure, pre-Industrial Age, no vitamins-or-minerals-added iceberg water — into the Atlantic.

An iceberg looms over Bonavista, Newfoundland. Nature’s frozen carvings drift through Iceberg Alley each spring and summer.

It is the iceberg’s size, length of journey, age (they are more than 10,000 years old), ever-shifting architecture and inevitable death that draws hundreds of thousands of vacationers to Newfoundland each summer to see them. They are a star attraction — right up there with whales, seabirds, lighthouses, hiking trails and the welcome-you-with-open-arms-and-distinct-accent Newfoundlanders — that drives a half-billion-dollar-a-year tourism industry.

But icebergs also serve a lesser-known purpose: as muse to a handful of hopers, billionaires and kooks, whose iceberg water-based concoctions — be they vodka, bottled water, age-defying face creams, craft beer, wine and whatever they might think of next — fuel an industry built upon the faith that berg water is the tip of a commercial iceberg, an imagined gateway to great riches.

The industry has attracted a Saudi prince, failed politicians and former beach bums despite having just one certainty: the natural resource it relies upon disappears by September 1, only to return anew the following year, when another batch of bergs, typically 400 to 800 a season, drifts down Newfoundland’s coast for tourists to behold — and dreamers and schemers to try to profit from.

Money, mind you, is not a factor in Steve Bruneau’s fascination with icebergs. He’s an engineering professor at Memorial University in St. John’s, and a world-renowned expert on Arctic ships and structures — such as oil drilling platforms — which means he thinks a lot about ice and icebergs.

Bruneau has tested iceberg water, and can attest to its purity and the relative accuracy of the hyperbole often adopted by those trying to sell it.

“Ice was hard to come by in Newfoundland 200 and 300 years ago, and so icebergs were used quite regularly as a source of ice for packing fish and preservation,” he said.

“What is new about it today is that people are going after iceberg ice strictly for the novelty aspect of it. It sounds good, the optics are pretty cool and you got these big old blocks of ice cracking off the glacier — and we can say that the water is as pure as the driven snow and unaffected by modern civilization, and all that stuff, and that’s all pretty well true. But make no mistake: it is a novelty, and people like that.”

Unlike other Newfoundland novelties, such as being screeched in at the pub, the iceberg industry is not for the financially or physically faint of heart.

Harvesting ice from an iceberg requires a heavy-duty, reinforced-steel-hulled boat, and a spirit of derring-do to pull up alongside a hunk of ice that can split or unexpectedly flip, and often features sharp, spiny underwater fingers of ice, capable of punching holes through unsuspecting watercraft. (Remember the Titanic?)

The White Star Liner Titanic collided with an iceberg off Newfoundland on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on the night of the 14th/15th April 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,229 people on board lost their lives.

In this regard, Ed Kean numbers among the elder statesmen of the iceberg industry, a veteran of 30-plus summers of harvesting ice. He has a break-your-hand-in-two-handshake grip, and he got into the iceberg business because his family business was built upon a fishery that collapsed. Kean didn’t want to leave Newfoundland for someplace else, so he had to find something new to fish for.

Icebergs were it.

“This is a very small industry,” Kean said from the mountains of western Newfoundland, where he was snowmobiling. “It is costly to get into, and you’ve got to harvest enough ice in two months to last the rest of the year.”

In the olden days, Kean cracked ice chunks off larger icebergs by blasting them with a rifle, or hacking into them with an axe, then scooping up the pieces with a net. His system is more advanced now.

Kean harvests about 1,000 tons of ice a summer — Iceberg Vodka is by far his largest client — using a 100-foot-long custom barge, aptly named the Ice Harvester, outfitted with a grappling hook. The grapple breaks off ice chunks, which are fed into an ice grinder and then stored in tanks. The ideal iceberg for harvesting is about the size of a medium-sized house.

“I am starting to do my own iceberg water now,” said Kean, one of six individuals/companies licensed by the province to harvest icebergs. “I am hoping that it is going to be bigger than the vodka, bigger than the beer — and everything else.”

Ed Kean numbers among the elder statesmen of the iceberg industry, a veteran of 30-plus summers of harvesting ice.

Hopes and dreams are the underpinnings of an industry that was always supposed to be bigger than what it has actually become.

The idea of monetizing iceberg water first cropped up in the late 1940s, thanks to John Dove Isaacs III, an American scientist and academic.

Isaacs’ career arc took him from being present at nuclear test sites and studying blast waves, to hypothesizing that towing Antarctic icebergs up the Pacific Coast and anchoring them off Catalina Island might solve California’s chronic water scarcity problem in the agro-industrial sector.

His theory was completely wacky, and resided on the scientific margins until the 1970s, when Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Faisal Al Saud became interested in icebergs as a possible answer to his country’s drinking water problems.

With Saudi money to be made in icebergs, university professors started cranking out papers and convening academic conferences. Entrepreneurs took note.

Iceberg water is touted for its purity.

“Previous discussions of iceberg water had stressed its application to irrigation and agro-industrial complexes, schemes that could not afford high-priced water — and demanded delivery of very large icebergs,” American geophysicist W.F. Weeks noted to his peers at a gathering of the International Glaciological Society in Cambridge, England, in April 1980.

“Water delivered to Saudi Arabia, however, would be used for human consumption and high technology, and could command far greater prices.”

Saudi iceberg interest also caught the eye of Ron Stamp, a former owner of a hovercraft rental business in the Cayman Islands and a St. John’s native. He just couldn’t understand why the Saudis wouldn’t just melt the iceberg wherever it was, bottle the water and ship it home, ready to drink, rather than towing an iceberg to the desert — which never actually happened.

“Commercially, the prince was looking at the most expensive ice cube on the planet,” he said. “And that always stuck in my head.”

Ron Stamp, who says he’s Canada’s original iceberg water entrepreneur, stands on Topsail Beach just outside St. John’s.

Stamp fancies himself Canada’s original iceberg water entrepreneur. As he tells the story, he was drinking beers with some buddies, circa 1982, when they started talking about that iceberg-obsessed Saudi prince.

Stamp had left home at 17 to drive a truck in Toronto, before realizing that what he was really good at was talking, and so he switched to sales before leaving sales to be a beach bum in Jamaica.

Next came the hovercrafts and, ultimately, a trip home to visit his parents, where he started a new venture: selling Newfoundland fish to Europe. It was a fine idea, until the cod all but disappeared and the government declared a moratorium on the fishery.

All the while, Stamp said, he never forgot about the Saudis, or the image of a giant iceberg melting away, which served as inspiration for his first iceberg-related business idea: iceberg ice cubes.

Pure, hard and slow to melt, iceberg ice cubes had an origin story he felt a connoisseur of fine Scotch would swallow, and pay a premium for. But the idea never took off. Instead, vodka was the answer.

“I was the first person to make a vodka out of an iceberg or bottled water out of an iceberg, and that can’t be taken back from me,” Stamp said.

His vodka-making days date back to about 1993, and are long past now, though his latest creation — Borealis, an iceberg beer — has him telling stories again. The beer has been test-marketed in several Asian markets to, its creator claims, rave reviews.

“I’ve been looking at icebergs all my life,” Stamp said. “It’s a funny thing, because no matter how often you see them — if you are driving along the coast and you pop around a corner and there is an iceberg — it’ll make you stop. They are off-kilter, because it will be summer, and then here is this chunk of ice, hanging on the horizon. They are an amazing thing.”

Which is why some Newfoundlanders would prefer that the iceberg harvesting crowd simply left the icebergs alone.

Bottles of Iceberg Vodka at the offices of CEO David Meyers.

“Getting into a conflict with the harvesters — that kind of a scenario — it is real,” said Cecil Stockley, who operates MV Iceberg Alley, an iceberg/whale-watching vessel out of Twillingate, Nfld. “My opinion was, and always has been, that we should allow an iceberg to break down naturally. Tourists, especially in a place like Twillingate, the last thing you want to see is the harvesters crunching up an iceberg with all their machinery.”

In years past, tensions flared between the harvesters and the preservationists. Shouts and insults were exchanged between boats. Things, Stockley admits, could easily have escalated.

To keep the peace, the Newfoundland government stepped in, adopting a series of iceberg/whale-watching industry-friendly measures, including stipulating that all iceberg “harvesting activities shall not interfere with tour boat operations or other recreational activities …

“Also, harvesting activities or collection of bergy bits shall not be carried out within visible distance from known locations frequented by tourists, including, but not limited to, Cape Bonavista, Cape Spear, Twillingate and other locations …”

For now, the iceberg détente remains, and the icebergs continue to attract new dreamers to the industry.

One such dreamer is Marek Krol, a Polish-Canadian entrepreneur famous around Newfoundland, in the utmost small-c celebrity way, for starring in his own, short-lived reality television series called Living Wild, about living off the land with his family.

Workers harvest pieces of an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland.

The 52-year-old leveraged his celebrity to try his hand at politics, standing as a Conservative candidate in St. John’s in the 2015 federal election against Liberal star, Seamus O’Regan. Krol got crushed, earning just 4.5 per cent of the vote.

“Politics didn’t work out so well for me,” he said, laughing.

Next up: iceberg vodka, perhaps iceberg water and, who knows, maybe iceberg water-derived medicine of some sort.

Krol claims he is on the cusp of patenting a new technology that will dramatically increase the volumes and efficiencies involved in iceberg harvesting. He is also engineering a new vodka bottle — no sneak previews allowed — that he expects will be on liquor store shelves across Newfoundland this fall.

“Success starts with a dream,” he said. “Amazing people who become billionaires, they have a dream and they pursue it, and I am not afraid to take a risk, to dream big and to make things happen.”

Back at Canadian Iceberg Vodka HQ in Toronto, another week has past without any new breaks in the case of the missing iceberg water.

CEO David Meyers has his own working theory, believing that the thieves must have thought they were stealing vodka when they emptied the storage tank, before disappearing without a trace.

“Thirty thousand litres of vodka, that would have substantial value,” he said. “But there is no black market for iceberg water. What you do with 30,000 litres of stolen iceberg water in Newfoundland, I just don’t know.”

But maybe the thieves do know, and maybe they have known along. They wouldn’t be the first to look at an iceberg and see a 100-per-cent pure opportunity frozen inside.

• Email: joconnor@nationalpost.com | Twitter: oconnorwrites

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